Queen to Play
by SelfProclaimedFangirlKate
Summary: COMPLETE! After a land battle over their kingdoms' borders ends in a stalemate, King David & King Henry decide to hold a chess tournament to settle their dispute to prevent more casualties. Their unsuspecting royal daughters Emma and Regina don't realize the impact this match will have on their lives. An Enchanted Forest/FTL AU story. Slowburn SQ.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** This is my first attempt at an Enchanted Forest/Fairytale Land story, and a very different genre for me, so please let me know what you think. There may be some divergence from the mythology of the show in terms of magic, as well as positioning/ages of characters since it is AU (e.g., Regina and Emma are the same age, and thus David/Snow and Henry/Cora are the same age).

 _Chess_ (specifically the "Chess in Concert" PBS special with Josh Groban and Idina Menzel) is one of my favorite shows, and I thought it might make for an interesting launching point for a fic. The actual chess game components will be minimal, as that would be quite boring to read, and my knowledge of the game beyond an occasional game for fun is limited. Instead, it serves as the backdrop for the larger story.

The opening lyrics are from the first song in _Chess,_ lyrics by Tim Rice and Bjorn Ulvaesus (from ABBA!), and that's the only time I'll be using lyrics in the fic (no one will break into song.) They just do a much better job explaining the history of Chess than I ever could, and I thought it served as a logical preamble for this fic and a nod to the inspiration.

Although other characters appear (mostly as furniture/props and foils), it is SQ endgame and very much SQ throughout. Unlike my other fics, neither Regina nor Emma are in relationships with other people when this story starts. I hope you enjoy the ride :)

* * *

 **Preamble: "The Story of Chess"**

 _Each game of chess means there's one less variation left to be played / Each day got through means one or two less mistakes remain to be made / Not much is known of early days of chess beyond a fairly vague report that 1500 years ago two princes fought, though brothers, for a Hindu throne / Their mother cried, for no one really likes their offspring fighting to the death / She begged them stop the slaughter with her every breath, but sure enough one brother died / Sad beyond belief, she told her winning son: "You have caused such grief. I can't forgive this evil thing you've done." / He tried to explain how things had really been, but he tried in vain. No words of his would satisfy the queen / And so he asked the wisest men he knew the way to lessen her distress. / They told him he'd be pretty certain to impress by using model soldiers on a checkered board to show it was his brother's fault / They thus invented chess._

* * *

 **Chapter One**

"So it's agreed, then," King David of the Northern Kingdom said as he stood beside his wife, Queen Snow, in the courtyard of their palace. Given the high tensions of the discussion and the mild summer day, they decided to hold their meeting outside where they could all benefit from the fresh air.

"It is," King Henry of the Western Kingdom confirmed. "Rather than lose any more of our men in battle, we will each select one representative from our kingdom to battle it out on the board. To the victors go the spoils."

"That seems fair. It will be beneficial to avoid any additional lives lost unnecessarily. I'm glad you agree," Queen Snow chimed in.

Henry nodded. "If you are amenable, shall we say best two out of three?"

"That seems appropriate, yes," David assented. "And when and where shall this tournament take place?"

"We need neutral territory, free of any potentially meddling influences," Snow stated, looking pointedly at Queen Cora, who stood next to Henry. "Perhaps the Eastern Kingdom will allow us to use their castle."

Cora shook her head. "No. The Eastern Kingdom cannot be impartial. None of the other kingdoms can be. We have all had our share of quarrels with our various neighbors. I suggest we appoint a mutually agreed upon arbiter to keep things fair. We can host the first match in our kingdom, and then the second can be played here. If a winner is not determined after the second match and a third is needed, the arbiter can toss a gold coin to determine which of our kingdoms will serve as the final location. Would that appease you, Queen Snow?"

Snow nodded her consent. The arrangement seemed agreeable and just.

"Excellent," Cora stated, forcing a smile upon her severe features. "And when would you like to see this little dalliance between our players take place?"

"Let's begin the first match on the afternoon of the Midsummer," Snow suggested. "That will give us 20 days to prepare. The second match can occur 15 days later to allow for rest and travel between Kingdoms. The third match, if required, can be held 15 days after the second. This will let us wrap up this matter in under two months' time. Will that be sufficient for your chosen player?"

Henry looked to his wife, and after seeing her subtle nod, he agreed. "Yes. That suits us quite well. Now, who shall be the arbiter?"

"I can think of only one man who has equal contempt for both of our families, and therefore the most likely to be purely impartial: Rumplestiltskin," David stated.

"The Dark One? Are you sure that's wise? Is he not locked in your dungeon at this very moment?" Henry asked, startled by their suggestion.

"He is, but we can grant him temporary leave. He is still paralyzed from using magic due to the squid ink, and we have ways to ensure that he remains that way during the tournament. Why, do you have someone else in mind?" Snow asked. "All the other royal families in the Enchanted Forest have allegiances or ongoing grievances with one of our families, and I would hesitate to leave such a vital task to a commoner. The Dark One is well-versed in the game of chess and I believe he can be unbiased in the dealings of this tournament."

"I am okay with that decision," Cora stated, trying not to let her satisfaction show. She had a long and complicated history with Rumplestiltskin, but they most recently bid farewell to one another on positive terms. While it is true that he was not fond of her husband, as Henry had forbidden their daughter Regina from becoming his magic student despite Rumple's insistence that he should be her tutor, he and Cora ultimately parted amicably. With Rumple imprisoned by the Charmings, Cora assumed he would be more apt to side with her if such an opportunity and need arose.

"Then he shall be our arbiter," Henry declared. "Let us now select our representatives. Who will be playing on behalf of the Northern Kingdom?"

"Sir Killian Jones," David said without hesitation.

Cora scoffed. "The reformed pirate? Interesting choice."

Henry quickly interrupted his wife. They were making progress on this agreement and her snide remarks would do them no favors in finalizing the arrangement. "And who will be his second?"

"Our daughter, Princess Emma," Snow stated proudly. "And who will be playing for the Western Kingdom?"

"Our daughter, Princess Regina," Henry indicated, surprising both Snow and David.

"And I will be her second," Cora stated, before Snow or David could ask the question.

Snow's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Two members of the royal family playing in the chess tournament to determine who has rightful claim over Avonlea's land? Why do I feel like this is a setup?"

"Need I remind you, Queen Snow, this tournament was your beloved's idea. It wasn't mine. Do not fret – I am not orchestrating some grand scheme. And furthermore, I won't be playing, dear. However, I taught my daughter everything she knows. It is only logical that I would be her second. She is the best we have in the kingdom. Why would we send anyone else when she is best equipped for the task? Besides, you have your royal daughter as a second as well. These are not low stakes. We should both use the best players we have at our disposal."

"I agree, Snow. I have no objection to Princess Regina and Queen Cora taking part in the tournament," David said to his wife.

"Very well. But we, and the arbiter, will be watching you both. There are to be no magical influences during the matches, nor the proceedings surrounding any part of the tournament."

"Of course. You have my word," Cora nodded, with a hint of disdain in her voice. "I am offended that you think we would be anything but fair, my dear Snow."

David quickly interrupted before the women's passive-aggressive accusations could escalate further. "Then it is settled. Sir Killian will meet Princess Regina on the Midsummer afternoon in the courtyard of the Western Kingdom's palace. Until then, there is to be no more bloodshed over the border land of Avonlea."

Henry met David's extended hand with his own and shook it. "Agreed. Thank you, King David and Queen Snow, for your hospitality on this visit. If you will excuse us, our carriage awaits. We must return to the Western Kingdom to begin preparations for the first match. We will see you soon."

* * *

"I have to do what, Daddy?" Regina asked when her parents sat her down in their private quarters in the palace the evening of their return to their kingdom. They had invited her to join them for a nightcap of tea before bedtime, intending to inform her of the upcoming events.

"You are to play Sir Killian Jones in a three-match chess tournament to decide the fate over Avonlea's ownership. You have seen the losses we have taken during the land battles over that village. The Northern Kingdom has suffered losses as well, and neither side is any closer to surrendering. King David suggested an alternative battle of sorts to decide the winner, and I must say it is a good idea. Neither of us can afford to lose any more soldiers over this dispute."

Regina looked down at her hands, which were folded in her lap as she sat on a plush wingback chair in her parents' parlor room. "What if I don't win?"

Before her father could respond, Cora answered. "You will."

"You don't know that," Regina said as she looked at her mother. "Unless…are you planning to use magic to manipulate the outcome?"

"Of course not. You will win, because I have trained you to be the best. It's that simple."

"You haven't seen Killian play. We don't know anything about him."

"No, I have not. But, he hasn't seen you play, either. I can't imagine a former pirate is as skilled as you are. You were raised playing this game, Regina. He was raised to stear a ship and look for buried treasure. I hardly think he will be a worthy opponent."

"How can you be sure that he won't defeat me? He was a legend in his days as a pirate. He must have some innate skill when it comes to games of strategy."

"During your first match, I will find his weakness in his movements and train you harder so that you will win the second match. If you do not win the first, you will win the second and third under my tutelage."

"I wish I had your confidence, mother," Regina stated. She looked to her father, hoping for some reassurance or confirmation.

"My dear Regina," he started. "We know that you are the best player in our kingdom, and thus are most suited to the task at hand. Do your best. That is all we can ask of you."

Despite her father's words, Regina still felt uneasy. She looked over at Cora, whose expression was unreadable. "I assume, Mother, that you will officially be my second in this tournament? Or will you have a figurehead stand in while you control the reigns from the sidelines?"

"Of course I will be your second, dear. I cannot trust such an important task to anyone else. Who else could possibly be a better choice?"

"No one. I thank you in advance for your assistance and insight," she paused, waiting for her mother's reaction. When there was none, she continued. "And who will be Killian's second?"

"Princess Emma," Cora smirked before quickly resetting her expression to neutral.

 _There it is_ , Regina thought as she saw Cora's face break momentarily, displaying her inner thoughts for a mere second. It wasn't long, but Regina had years of practice analyzing her mother's mannerisms. She caught that minor twitch in the corner of her mother's lips. She wasn't sure what her mother was planning, but she knew she likely wouldn't enjoy whatever was to come. "Princess Emma?" Regina asked, needing confirmation that she had heard correctly.

"Yes," her father said.

"I see," was all that Regina said in response.

"I know it has been many years, at least a decade, but you do remember meeting her a few times, do you not?" Henry asked her.

"I do. I remember spending time with her briefly in the gardens of her parent's palace as a child and young adolescent. I just didn't realize she played chess."

"That was a surprise to us as well, but her parents must see the value in the game as we do. After all, it requires strategic thinking, and not unlike our kingdom, the Northern Kingdom doesn't have a male heir to throne. With Emma as the crown princess, it is understandable that they would have trained her early in the best game of strategy in our realm, just as we have done with you," her father explained.

"Yes, you are right. It has prepared me well, I think, to one day serve as the leader of the Western Kingdom when you and mother abdicate the throne."

"Indeed it has. After all, the queen is the most powerful piece on the board, Regina. She must be protected at all costs," Cora added. While the statement was indisputable fact, neither Regina nor Henry missed the deeper undertones of her words.

"Well, it has been a long day and a tiring journey. I am going to retire for the evening. Goodnight, Regina. I love you, my darling daughter," Henry said as he stood.

Regina stood up to hug her father goodnight. "I love you, too, Daddy. I will do my best not to let the kingdom down. I would hate to disappoint you and mother."

"Honey, you could never disappoint us. We love you," he said as he pulled back from his daughter's embrace.

While she believed her father's statement was sincere, she knew her mother felt differently. She caught her mother's eye in her periphery, finding the look she received in response quite unsettling. After her father had departed, Regina looked back at her mother as a handmaid removed their empty teacups. "What's your endgame, Mother?"

"Excuse me? Watch your tone, young lady," Cora responded, lifting her hand in warning. It had been some time since she had used magic to keep her daughter in line, as Henry greatly disapproved of such tactics, but she saw no harm in a gentle reminder and the occasional threat with a wave of her hand.

Regina reflexively rolled her eyes before she could think better of herself. "I know you have a larger game in mind…something more than three simple Chess matches. It would help me if I knew what was really at stake."

"You know what is at stake, Regina. The land on our kingdoms' border."

"Then why did you agree to this? Why not just go in and obliterate the Charmings' soldiers with your magic and put an end to this feud?"

"Because, my sweet girl, that would violate the laws we have. Our treaties with the surrounding kingdoms forbid the use of magic in inter-kingdom conflicts, particularly among the monarchs. If I used my magic on their army, they would know it was me. Perhaps one day I will be willing to break those treaties, but that day is not today. This little squabble is not worth the larger war that would wage," Cora explained before she chuckled. "Oh Regina, what a silly question. Clearly you are not as ready to rule this kingdom as you think you are."

"I apologize, Mother. What battle would be worth breaking that treaty, then?"

"Believe me – you'll know it when you see it. Until then, I will abide by the laws of our land. Goodnight, Regina."

Regina understood that this conversation was over and that it was unlikely that she would learn her mother's hidden agenda prior to the start of the tournament. She just hoped she would figure it out before it would be too late to stop her.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Thank you so much for your reviews, follows, and favorites! I have never written anything that wasn't set in the modern-day/current world, so I had no idea how this would turn out. I'm overwhelmed by the response thus far, and I'm finding that I am really enjoying the writing process for this one. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

* * *

Two weeks had passed since King David and Queen Snow had informed Emma of the impending chess tournament that would determine the fate of the Avonlea land, which was the latest cause of conflict between the Northern and Western kingdoms. She and her parents, along with Sir Killian Jones, were scheduled to depart the palace the next morning to make the trek to the Western Kingdom, where the first match would be played later that week on the afternoon of the Midsummer. Like Princess Regina, Princess Emma had not taken the news of her role in the tournament well. Emma truly loved the game of chess, and she was very skilled, but she never felt overly competitive. She preferred to play for fun and to exercise her mind in the art of strategy. She was a curious player, which was a characteristic that made her so exceptional. She loved analyzing the moves, predicting what her opponent would do, and doing her best to outsmart him. But, her internal motivation was never about winning - it was just about improving her own skill. She was concerned that this matchup would destroy her love of the game, and it was one of the few hobbies that allowed her to escape the pressures of being the Northern Kingdom's crown princess.

Emma sat across from Killian in the drawing room of her parents' palace that evening. "Don't do that," she commented as he picked up his bishop, preparing to move it diagonally and capture her knight.

"Why?" Killian asked her, clearly not seeing a problem with his selection.

Emma rolled her eyes. "Because, if you do that," she said, tilting her knight on its side, "then I will do this." She pantomimed moving her own bishop to a vacant spot on the board that would cause him to lose his queen. He wouldn't be able to save the queen without putting himself in check. "So, that would be a stupid move. Try again." She righted her knight as he set his bishop back down where it was.

"Damn it. I should have seen that."

"Yes, you should have," she said. "I know you're stressed, but you cannot be too impulsive. You are a good player Killian. You're quick, which is great and can throw off your opponent if they are a slow player. But, this match is not a blitz like we are used to playing…this is not a race against the clock. They have agreed upon giving each player two hours. You have time to think things through, and the arbiter will be ruthless when it comes to enforcing the rules. You cannot make a mistake like that. If you so much as brush your hand against a piece you will be forced to play it. There's no leeway here. Plan your strategy before you touch your piece…Come to think of it, be certain of your move before you bring your hand anywhere near the board."

"I know, Emma." He picked up a pawn and moved it one space forward, blocking the path of her bishop so it could not attack his queen.

"Good." She said, studying the board in front of her. She was in the final stages of preparing him for the tournament, knowing that they would not have much time to practice upon arriving at the Western Kingdom's palace. After a moment or two, she saw an opportunity to outwit him, fairly certain that he did not see it. Killian's weakness was not just his impulsivity, but he would often become so focused on his own strategy that he neglected to see what his opponent did. He was a strong player, but Emma was better, which was why she was the one to train him and would be his second for the tournament. She casually moved her own pawn forward.

As she predicted, Killian used his pawn to capture a knight Emma had left exposed. She knew he would do that when he moved his pawn on the previous turn, but she was willing to sacrifice the knight. She moved her pawn again, arriving at the end of the board, promoting it to a queen. "Checkmate."

He looked down at the board, stunned. "What?"

"You never should have let my pawn get anywhere near this side of the board. You cannot let your opponent promote a pawn. That should never happen. You are better than that, Killian."

Killian scoffed and flipped the board over, the heavy wooden pieces scattering on the ground as he stood up and started pacing.

"Killian!" Emma shouted, rising to her feet. "Focus. You cannot behave this way when you're taking part of the tournament. It will be as good as forfeiting."

"I won't. I'm playing Princess Regina, not you. I will be fine."

"We do not know anything about her, Killian. She could be as strong as I am in this game. You have to assume she is. You cannot get cocky."

"I am doing no such thing, love."

Emma rolled her eyes just as the doors to the drawing room were thrown open. Her parents and one of their guards stormed in. "We heard yelling," Snow said, concern written across her features.

"I apologize, Your Majesty. We were prepping for the game and things got a little heated."

Snow nodded and looked to her daughter for confirmation. "I'm fine, Mother," Emma said as she smiled. "Killian is fine. He is just a little stressed about the game."

"I see," Snow said. "Well, Killian, please do not worry yourself. You can do this. We have faith in you." David walked over to his wife and put an arm around her waist, nodding his head in agreement.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. Now if you will excuse me, I am going to go take my leave." He bowed to the royal couple before exiting the room, accompanied by the guard.

*.*.*

Later that evening, Emma was packing for their journey to the Western Kingdom when she heard a knock on the door to her bedchamber. "Enter."

"Emma?" Her mother's voice was soft as she opened the door and stepped inside. "Where is Johanna?" Snow looked around the room for Emma's handmaid.

"I excused her for the evening. I wanted to take care of the packing myself to help clear my head," Emma responded.

"Is everything all right?"

Emma nodded. "Yes, of course."

"Emma, what is bothering you? You know you can tell me anything."

"Nothing is bothering me, Mother. I'm just a little anxious about this tournament. That is all."

"You have nothing to be anxious about, honey. No matter what happens, your father and I know that you and Killian are doing your best."

"It's not that I am worried about losing, Mother…I am just worried about what comes next."

"What do you mean?"

"Our kingdoms are always fighting. No matter who wins the Avonlea land at the conclusion of this tournament, something else will happen soon and we will be fighting again. Instead of silly chess matches, why not try to make a treaty and bring peace to our lands, at least for a little while?"

"Emma, I appreciate that sentiment, but it is a little naïve. You do not know Cora like I do. While Henry may be the rightful king and Cora is the queen consort, Cora is the one who wields the power. Even if we were to reach a treaty, she would not abide by it. There will always be something with that woman. She has a personal vendetta against our family. As long as she is on the throne, there is no sense in creating a treaty. We proposed this match as a way to prevent the loss of more lives, and hopefully to delay any additional battles for a while."

"Well, she and Henry won't be in power forever. Eventually Princess Regina will ascend to power, just as I one day will. Maybe then we can find some common ground."

"I sincerely hope so, Emma. But, I worry that after spending several decades under her mother's control, she will be no better. There are also rumors in the villages that she possesses magic, just like Cora. When the time comes that you are both the rulers of your respective kingdoms, you have to be prepared that she will be just like her mother. You cannot be too trusting. If you are, the results could be catastrophic for the Northern Kingdom."

"I know, Mother. I was just lecturing Killian about being too impulsive in his moves earlier today. I know that I have to be strategic and cautious."

"Good girl. Now, how is Killian?"

Emma looked up from packing some of her makeup into a small, portable case. "He will be fine. He was just tired from all the preparation and the nerves. I think he will be in much better spirits once we arrive in the Western Kingdom."

"And how are you and Killian? That seemed like quite the row earlier. Is everything okay between the two of you?" Snow smirked, trying her best to feign innocence.

Emma rolled her eyes. She recognized her mother's look. "That wasn't a row, Mother. That was a trainer and her player arguing over a bad move. And please stop making suggestions about him as a potential suitor, especially in front of Killian. He has enough pressure as it is with the match. You dropping hints to try to get him to court me will certainly result in a poor outcome for our kingdom in the chess tournament. He cannot have any distractions."

"I know, Emma. I will not say anything to him during the tournament. However, I do not understand why you are so resistant to the idea of him courting you, after the tournament is over, of course."

"I am not interested in him, Mother. I do not understand why you are so insistent that he is the one I should marry. You have always talked about how you and Father are 'True Loves.' That is not Killian and me."

"Your father and I are very blessed that we found each other, Emma, but finding one's true love is rare. Most marriages are not between true loves."

"But a marriage should involve love, should it not? I do not love him."

"You may not yet, but you might learn to love him throughout the courting process."

"I do not want to have to learn to love someone, Mother. I want to find someone with whom I feel connected, someone who will be an equal partner in life, love, and leading the kingdom. That is not Killian. He is a fine man, a good friend, and a great ship captain, but he is not the one who I see as my king consort."

"Do you have someone in mind?" Her mother asked, a little too nosy for Emma's liking.

"Not at this moment, no. But it will be years before I will take the throne, and I am only 22. I am in no rush to become someone's wife. I would rather wait for the right person, even if it means ruling the kingdom on my own for awhile."

The two women heard another knock on the door to Emma's quarters, so they exited the bedchambers and walked into the living space. "Who is it?" Emma asked, approaching the door.

"It is me, Your Highness," Ava, one of the handmaids said. Emma opened the door and the teenaged girl bowed to the princess. "I am just here to inform you that supper is ready to be served."

Emma smiled. "Thank you, Ava. My mother and I will be right down." She closed the door and turned back to her mother.

"Since this is our last meal with the court before we depart for the Western Kingdom in the morning, Killian will be joining us for supper," her mother stated matter-of-factly as she walked toward the door of Emma's quarters. "I expect that you will behave appropriately."

"Great…just great," Emma said to herself as she followed her mother down the hallway to the palace's large dining room.

* * *

The next morning, many miles away in the Western Kingdom, Regina begrudgingly sat down to play one final practice game against her mother. "Mother, we still have five days. I do not understand why you are so insistent that we play now when we will have guests arriving this afternoon. There are many things we must do to prepare for their arrival."

"We have the help to take care of that, Regina. And yes, the match is still several days away, but once your opponent and his team of royal misfits are on the palace grounds, you cannot risk playing the game, lest anyone see you practice and learn your strategy," Cora reasoned.

"I'm exhausted, mother. I need to rest. And, I was hoping to take Rocinante out for a ride to clear my mind."

Her mother scoffed. "Regina, dear, whining does not suit you. You can ride that beloved horse of yours any other time. This is far more important. You will have plenty of time to rest in the days leading up to the game."

As they continued their match, Regina tried to ascertain her mother's true intentions. She had been attempting to discover that information over the past two weeks, from the moment she learned of this tournament, but her attempts had been unsuccessful. She could not figure out her mother's plan and why her mother was so insistent that this arrangement was a good idea.

Cora looked up at her daughter's face and could immediately tell that her mind was not on the game before her. "Focus on your own endgame, darling….do not worry about mine."

Those words did little to comfort Regina. Instead, they made her more wary of what would transpire over the next 30 days of the tournament. Regina shook her head and refocused her attention on the board in front of her, castling her king and rook.

"Wise choice," Cora stated.

Regina looked up at her mother, trying to determine whether her mother's praise was sincere or a form of psychological warfare. "Thank you, Mother," she said, keeping her expression neutral.

"Regina, do not forget that chess is mentally taxing. It can take a toll on a person's psyche," Cora reminded her.

"I know, Mother. I have been playing against you for well over 20 years. I know how mentally exhausting it can be."

Cora pursed her lips at Regina's remarks, but decided to let it go. She moved one of her pawns up two spaces and hit the clock timer next to her to signal the end of her move. "While Killian Jones is now a knight and no longer living the pirate's life, that side to him still exists. People don't just change overnight, Regina."

Regina nodded as she captured one of her mother's pawns with her own. "What are you trying to say, Mother?"

"Under all that shiny new armor, he is still a pirate, and a chauvinistic one at that. His ego will not be able to tolerate losing to a woman," she stated. "This is the weakness to exploit in the tournament, at least for the first match until we learn how he plays and can find a point of weakness in his game." Cora looked at the board, scrutinizing the arrangement of pieces before making her next move.

"Mother, need I remind you that his second is Princess Emma? He would not have chosen a female second if he was a bigot."

"Well, from what I have heard, Queen Snow is hopeful that Emma may one day take an interest in Killian. I would not be surprised if it was Snow who decided to make Emma his second for that very reason. I do not believe the decision was his to make, and he would be a fool to protest and miss his chance to get to the throne."

Regina rolled her eyes. "Please, Mother, I thought gossiping was beneath you."

Cora chose to ignore her daughter's rudeness. "Only when I cannot use said gossip to my advantage. Or in this case, to our advantage."

Regina was about to move her rook, but pulled back her hand as it moved toward the piece. Instead, she rested both forearms on her knees and leaned forward. "What advantage would that be, Mother?"

Cora grinned. "Like I said, Queen Snow seems to want her precious princess to marry Killian, although why she would want that is beyond me. He's a treacherous leech. But, we can capitalize on that."

Regina looked at her mother and raised an eyebrow. "You mean _I_ can capitalize on that."

Cora slyly smirked as she nodded once. "Indeed. Like I said, once a pirate, always a pirate. We will make sure you are looking your best when he arrives, and in the days leading up to your first match against him. Be flirtatious, get into his head, and make him think he has a chance with you. After all, you are destined for throne as well, and if he has royal aspirations, Emma is not the only princess who could get him there."

"Mother…I will not marry Killian," Regina complained, disgusted by the thought and afraid of what her mother was suggesting.

Cora held up her hand, immediately silencing her daughter. "Of course you won't. I would never allow it. But nevertheless, you can distract him. With any luck, he will give into his false hope and focus on you instead of the game. And, it will irritate that annoying little Queen Snow to no end if she thinks the man she wants to be the future king of her land may end up marrying you and become king of the opposing kingdom instead. She will become so distraught that it will impact her darling Emma's performance as Killian's second, because we both know that while she may be a decent queen, when it comes to the personal lives of those she loves, she cannot stop herself from interfering. She will become preoccupied by this new development, which will in turn affect Emma and will ultimately impact Killian. They are the perfect row of dominos to come tumbling down. We will obtain the Avonlea land, and Snow will have destroyed herself and her daughter's chance at happiness in the process."

Regina sighed as she finally moved her rook across the board. "So, this is your grand plan? You want me to pretend to seduce some reprehensible pirate so that he will either throw the match in an effort to appease me or lose due to his own weak-wills? Is this why you wanted me to play in the tournament…so you can get back at Snow and ruin her daughter's chance at a relationship?"

Cora smirked as she captured Regina's bishop. "No, dear. I wanted you to play because this was their asinine idea in the first place and you're the best chance we have to end this quickly and win. This seduction plot just came to me now as we were playing."

Regina paused. "Wait, this is not the larger master plan you have been working on but will not tell me about? This was just thought up on a whim?"

Cora nodded. "Indeed. Like I said, I am very good at what I do. Worry not about my larger plans, and instead focus on your role to bring the pirate crashing down. I will handle the rest."

Regina sent a skeptical look at her mother, before a grin spread across her face. She moved her queen and captured her mother's rook. "Checkmate."

Cora looked down at the board and realizing that her daughter had won, she knocked over her own king in submission with a manicured finger. "Well played, Regina."

Regina smirked. "Well, after all, I did learn from the best."

* * *

 **A/N:** Thank you again for your responses thus far. In chapter three, Regina and Emma will finally come face to face for the first time in decades. I hope to update this fic once per week/once every 10 days or so, as I'm juggling multiple fics right now for the first time ever and I'm not sure how great my time management skills are in that regard.


	3. Chapter 3

Late that evening marked the arrival of King David, Queen Snow, Princess Emma, Sir Killian, and a magically bound Rumplestiltskin. Their carriage arrived well after sunset due to some unplanned stops on their journey from the Northern Kingdom. King Henry, Queen Cora, and Princess Regina all gathered at the front entrance of the palace to welcome them into the kingdom.

"My apologies, Your Majesties, Your Highness, for our tardiness. We encountered a few obstacles on our way," David apologized as he shook Henry's hand.

"It is no bother," Henry stated. "I hope it was nothing too serious?"

"It wasn't anything we could not handle," Snow responded, keeping her eyes trained on Cora. Emma and Regina both watched their parents' interactions, before quickly glancing at each other. Emma rolled her eyes causing Regina to hold back a snicker.

Cora's black knights quickly came forward and seized Rumplestiltskin. "Throw him in the dungeon. He is to remain there until the first match in five days. And I want a minimum of two guards watching him at all times. Aside from a third guard to bring him breakfast and dinner, no one is allowed to visit him. Queen Snow and I will fetch him together when he is needed for the first match," she commanded. The knights nodded and quickly obliged. Cora quickly turned back to Snow. "I assumed you would want to accompany me to retrieve him. I know you do not want to entrust me to do it on my own, given how you think I have some scheme in the hopper."

"You would assume correctly, Queen Cora," Snow replied, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly.

"Very well. And do not worry. He will not be able to escape. We enchanted his cell with squid ink as well for extra safe keeping."

"Thank you," Snow said.

"Sir Killian," Henry quickly interjected, "I would like to introduce you to my daughter, Princess Regina, who you will be playing in the match later this week."

Killian stepped forward and took Regina's hand, which she had extended to him. He bowed and lightly kissed her knuckles, never breaking eye contact. "Your Highness. It is my pleasure to make your acquaintance."

She wanted to roll her eyes and scoff, but she remembered her earlier conversation with her mother and had to play her part. She forced herself to smile shyly and willed herself to blush for added effect. "Sir Killian. It is lovely to meet you in person." She could feel his clammy hand still holding hers, but she refused to be the first to let go. Instead, she smirked and slightly raised an eyebrow, giving his hand a flirtatious squeeze. He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it once more before releasing her. She smiled demurely.

Snow watched the exchange closely, clearly uncomfortable with their interaction, and she hastily made an introduction of her own. "And this is Princess Emma, Sir Killian's second. Queen Cora, you recently met Princess Emma during your last journey to our kingdom, but I believe it has been some time since Princess Regina and our Emma have seen one another."

Regina nodded. "Indeed, it has been. It is nice to see you again, Princess Emma."

Emma smiled, looking her in the eye. "Likewise, Your Highness."

The two royal families continued to talk in the front hall of the palace, mostly about the upcoming tournament logistics. Emma kept her eyes mostly on Regina throughout their parents' conversation, which did not go unnoticed by Cora, as Cora was appraising the rival princess carefully. Usually Cora was quite skilled at reading people, but Emma was an enigma. She also noticed that Snow was watching Cora, Regina, and Emma quite carefully. Cora had the suspicion that Snow and Emma may have a plot of their own, and if they did, she was determined to decipher it.

"Would you care to join us for a late supper?" Henry asked their guests.

"That would be lovely. Thank you," David stated, taking his wife's hand in his.

"Very well. Cora, dear, would you mind escorting our guests to the dining hall? I would like a quick moment with Regina before we head in," Henry said.

"Of course, honey," she said as she narrowed her eyes in suspicion so only her husband could see it. She leaned in to kiss her daughter's cheek before departing, quietly whispering "Well done, Regina. That was brilliant," in her ear.

Regina nodded her head, happy that her mother was satisfied with her earlier performance with Killian. "I will see you soon, Mother," she said as her mother escorted their guests down the hall. She then turned to face her father, unsure of what he would want to discuss. "What is it, Father?"

He gently pulled her away from the front door and into an alcove off the foyer. "After dinner I will offer Killian and Emma a tour of the castle grounds, but I would like you to be the one to show Emma around. She has not been here since she was a young girl of five or six, so I want to make sure she is comfortable during her stay."

Regina hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Did Mother put you up to this?"

He shook his head. "What? Heavens no. Absolutely not. In fact, she would probably prefer that you did not, which is why I wanted to make this request of you in private. She would think you might accidentally let something slip about your approach to the game. And, I am not sure she trusts Snow and Emma any more than Snow trusts her."

"Yeah, I noticed that," she said under her breath. "So, why would you like me to be the one to give Emma a tour?"

"I think it would be a good opportunity for you to get to know one another. Your mother and I, along with David and Snow, are getting older. You will both be rulers of your kingdoms before you know it. It is my sincere hope that you will be able to find the common ground that we could not and finally put an end to our decades-long rivalry between our two kingdoms. It is better to start building that peaceful relationship now, before you ascend to the throne."

Regina nodded. "I will do my best."

*.*.*

Henry and Regina joined the others in the dining room, apologizing for the delay. Henry took his place at the head of the table, while Regina sat next to her mother. The servers immediately brought out the first course along with a decanter of wine. The two families and Killian ate and maintained polite conversation, not discussing the Avonlea land or any of their on-going disputes. They also avoided talking too much of the impending tournament, other than the schedule of events leading up to the first game.

Cora decided that she had had enough of the mundane pleasantries and wanted to continue building the foundation her daughter had so elegantly laid when their visitors first arrived. "Sir Killian, are you currently courting anyone?"

Suddenly, six pairs of eyes were on her, but she continued to look at the former pirate expectantly.

"Mother!" Regina chastised, not needing to fake her embarrassment. She knew her mother wanted her to pretend to be interested in Killian, but she did not expect her mother would so directly contribute to the plot. She internally reprimanded herself. She absolutely should have known this was coming.

"What?" Cora turned to her daughter. "I am just trying to make conversation. Killian is an attractive young man. I imagine he would be a lovely suitor for the right young woman. I am trying to ascertain who that lucky lady might be." She turned her attention back to Killian, awaiting his response.

He cleared his throat. "No one, at the moment, Your Majesty."

"Very well, then. That is good to know."

Regina looked down at her plate, still waiting for the shock of her mother's statement to settle. She glanced over at her father who seemed completely bewildered, although she thought she saw a glint of suspicion in his eyes. Clearly her mother had not informed him of this strategy. Regina understood why, as he would never approve of it, but this was a misstep on her mother's part. Any king would be aware of any potential suitors for his crown princess, and clearly Henry did not know Killian was on Cora's radar. If any of the Northern Kingdom family looked at him, they would know that this was a ploy. Fortunately, they were all too busy glaring at Cora and watching Killian and Regina.

"King David, Queen Snow, and Princess Emma, you will stay in our largest guest quarters on the east end of the palace," Henry said, breaking the tension in the room. "Sir Killian, you will be staying in the quarters across the hall from them. We have placed a chess board in your suite so you may practice without fear of intrusion."

"Thank you, King Henry," David said, grateful for a change in topic. He glanced over to his wife, who was still fuming at the earlier implication that Cora may want Killian to court Regina. David took his wife's hand under the table and gave it a comforting squeeze, hoping she would at least visibly relax. He did not want Cora to see how upset she was.

Henry nodded and continued. "We can escort you there after dinner. Killian, I would also be happy to show you around the palace so you know where everything is. David, Snow, I imagine you know where everything is that you may need, but you are welcome to join us if you would like."

"That is quite alright. We do indeed know our way around your lovely home, and we trust that you will treat Killian with respect and not coerce him into anything that may interfere with the outcome of the match," David replied, looking directly at Cora.

"Relax dear, I don't bite," Cora said. Regina had to stop herself from smirking.

"Perhaps you could take Emma on the tour as well," Snow said. "She has not been here since she was a very young girl."

Emma perked up at the mention of her name and had to hold back an eye roll. She knew her mother was trying to get her to spend more time with Killian, particularly after Cora's earlier revelation.

"I think that is a wonderful idea," Henry said. "Regina, why don't you join us as well? You have spent more time wandering around the castle than any of us. I am sure Sir Killian and Princess Emma would enjoy your insight and company."

Snow immediately tensed, while Cora simpered at Snow's reaction. Regina had to hand it to her mother – this was all unfolding more naturally than she could have expected. "Sure, Father. I would be happy to assist you," she said. Cora looked over at her daughter and raised an eyebrow. This was not part of Cora's plan, but she seemed pleased.

The families ate the rest of their meal in relative silence, the awkward tension in the room never fully dissipating. "Thank you, King Henry, Queen Cora, for your hospitality. And compliments to your kitchen staff. This was delicious," David said. Snow nodded in agreement with her husband.

"You are very welcome," Cora stated sweetly.

"We would be happy to have you join us for tea before retiring for the evening, if you would like," Henry offered.

"Oh, that is very kind of you to offer," Snow replied. "We are very tired from the journey and will likely retire earlier than usual."

"Of course," Henry said. "Sir Killian, Princess Emma, my dear Regina…shall we commence our grand tour?" He stood, signaling the official end of supper. The others rose from the table as well and followed the king out of the room. In the hallway outside the dining hall, Henry politely kissed Cora on the cheek before escorting their visitors to their guest quarters.

*.*.*

Cora left the tour group and walked in the opposite direction toward her study. As she approached the door, she looked over her shoulder as she stood between her door and a large painting of Henry. When she was sure she was alone, she waved her hand in front of the wall, revealing a door hidden behind a cloaking spell. She quickly walked in and descended the hidden staircase to a cellar, which she then passed through to head toward the dungeon. She stayed close to the wall as she made her way around a corner. When she spotted her guards outside the enchanted prison cell holding Rumplestiltskin captive, she cast a sleeping spell causing them to collapse before they could see her. "Hello Rumple," she said, approaching his cell. "It's been awhile."

*.*.*

Henry showed David, Snow, and Emma to their quarters as Regina followed obediently behind him. "Are you sure you do not want to join us for the tour?" he asked David and Snow. They politely declined. "Very well. We will see you in the morning. If you would like to join us for breakfast, you are welcome. It is served just after sunrise."

David and Snow bid Henry and Regina goodnight as they stepped inside the guest quarters. Henry then showed Killian the room across the hall where he would be returning after the tour. "Now, come along and we will show you the rest of the castle," he said. He led them toward the large meeting room where they routinely held court and then back out to the hallway toward one of the turrets. "Regina," he started, "why don't you show Emma the gardens? It's not quite dark yet, and you used to play out there together when you were very little, before all this messy conflict began."

"Of course, Father," she said before turning to their guest. "Sir Killian," she politely nodded, forcing a smile. Even though Snow was not there, she needed Killian to believe she was interested in him.

"Your Highness," Killian returned her nod and smile, bowing slightly.

"Your Majesty," Emma curtseyed toward Henry before following Regina down the hallway and toward the courtyard.

*.*.*

Regina led Emma out to the courtyard and through a gate leading to a large expanse of land. "Well, this is it," she said, gesturing to what seemed like acres of gardens.

"It is very beautiful," Emma said with a shy smile. "It is much different than ours."

Regina nodded. "I vaguely remember spending some time there when I was younger, before all our wars started. There were a lot of flowers, from what I remember…"

Emma laughed and Regina made note of how pleasant it was to hear. Emma had barely shown any genuine emotion since arriving, aside from a few eye rolls directed at their mothers' childish displays of superiority. "Yes, there still are. My mother cannot get enough of her snowbells, among other flowers I never bothered learning the names of."

Regina guided Emma toward a bench next to a large fountain and sat down, gesturing for her to do the same. "Not a flower fan?"

Emma shrugged as she sat down next to Regina, resting her hands on the bench next to her. "They are pretty, I suppose, but there are just so many of them. And there are so many colors that it makes my eyes hurt. I like your gardens better," she said, looking at the topiary surrounding the brick patio that contained the bench on which they were seated. The Western Kingdom palace gardens had several types of flowers, mostly in shades of purple and red, but they were interspersed with various hedges, trees, and decorative grasses. "Your gardens seem more refined…and methodical"

Regina smirked. "Well, my mother is nothing if not refined and methodical." As she looked out over the gardens, Regina leaned forward a bit, moving her hands from her lap to the bench and accidentally brushing Emma's pinky with her own. "Sorry," she quickly said as she pulled her hand back, but Emma didn't seem to notice. "Do your gardens have any vegetables or fruit?" Regina asked, rising to her feet.

"We have a few strawberry plants and our cook grows vegetables, but that is about it."

Regina smiled. "Come with me." She extended her hand toward Emma, who looked first at Regina's hand before looking her in the eyes. She acquiesced, taking her hand and allowing Regina to pull her up.

Regina dropped her hand once Emma was standing and led her to the orchard near the west end of the garden. "My father and I planted these when I was six," she explained, pointing to a row of apple trees. "We have all sorts of varieties here – green, gold, and red, but the honeycrisps are my favorite." She walked over to one and picked it, presenting it in her hand to Emma.

"Thank you," she said, accepting the proffered fruit.

"Normally they would not be in season for another few months, but my mother placed an enchantment on this tree when I was a teenager so that it never stops producing ripe fruit."

Emma looked at the apple hesitantly and then back at Regina.

"Do not worry, it is perfectly safe," Regina chuckled. "It is one of the few magical things my mother has done that has not harmed me. She did this because she knew I loved this tree. It was her way of apologizing for something she had done." Regina picked her own apple from the same branch, wiped it on her dress, and bit into it to prove her point.

"Thanks," Emma said before taking a bite herself. "Can I ask what she did to upset you?"

Regina rolled her eyes. "What hasn't she done is the better question. She and I do not have the best relationship…we rarely see eye-to-eye. I would rather not talk about it."

Emma nodded in understanding. "I'm sorry. I did not mean to pry."

Regina looked over at her and gave her a reassuring smile. "You didn't. Perhaps I will tell you one day, but it is a painful memory and I would rather not think about it right now." Regina continued to walk through the orchard. "This is one of my favorite places in the palace grounds, aside from the forest land along the perimeter where I can ride my favorite horse, Rocinante."

"You ride?" Emma asked as they start walking back toward the courtyard, happy to see Regina perk up at the mention of her beloved steed.

"I do. Does that surprise you?"

Emma shrugged. "Maybe a little. I just did not peg you as the horseback riding type."

Regina laughed. "I love it. There is nothing I would rather do on a nice day than throw on some breeches and take Rocinante out for hours. I wish I had the freedom to leave our property so I could take him on a longer journey, but I make do."

"That's wonderful," Emma smiled. "I have not ridden since I was very young. My parents made me learn so I would have the skill in case I ever needed it, but the lessons stopped when I was 11 or 12. By then they were more focused on grooming me to be a proper princess."

Regina nodded as she chuckled. "Yeah, I struggled with that too, but my father knew how much I adored it and he managed to get my mother to agree to allow me to keep up my riding lessons," she said. "You know, we have plenty of horses. If you need a break from your training with Killian before the first match, you are welcome to take one of the horses out for a trot around the grounds. We have several highly qualified stablehands who can help you."

Emma raised an eyebrow. "You won't teach me?"

Regina was at a loss for words. "Oh, I suppose I could, if you would prefer it. But, I have never taught anyone how to ride before. I am probably not the best suited to the task."

"I was joking," Emma said.

Regina's face fell. "Oh, of course."

"But, that would be fun, either way," Emma quickly replied. "I would love to try riding again."

They arrived back in the courtyard and a guard opened a door for them to enter the castle, bowing as they walked past. Regina started to lead Emma back toward the guest quarters where she and her parents were staying. They walked in silence, the only sound coming from the echoes of their footsteps in the grand hallway.

"Thank you for showing me around, Regina. I appreciate it," Emma said as they approached the entrance door to the guest quarters.

"Well, we really only saw the gardens. If you would like a tour of the rest of the palace, I would be happy to show you around tomorrow morning after breakfast."

"That would be great, thank you," Emma smiled in appreciation.

"You're welcome…" Regina started.

Just then her father and Killian approached from the opposite side of the hallway. Killian quickly disappeared to enter his quarters. "Hello, ladies," Henry said. "How were the gardens?"

"They were lovely, Your Majesty," Emma said. "Thank you for suggesting Princess Regina show them to me."

Henry looked at his daughter and then back at Emma. "Good, I am glad you enjoyed them. I hope you sleep well, Princess Emma. I will see you in the morning," he nodded his head toward Emma and then turned toward his daughter. "Goodnight, darling daughter. Do not stay up too late." He kissed the top of her head before heading toward the royal family's living quarters at the other end of the palace.

Regina turned to face Emma. "Well, this is where I will leave you. I will see you at breakfast, and do let me know if you would like to see more of the palace. I would hate for you to get lost during your stay."

Emma smiled genuinely. "Thank you, Regina."

Regina watched as Emma walked inside her room and closed the door. She smiled as she turned around to walk toward her own quarters. She stopped abruptly when she nearly crashed into her mother, who seemed to appear out of nowhere. "Oh, Mother, you scared me." As she recovered from being startled, Regina looked around. She did not see any trace of her mother's signature smoke, suggesting she had not poofed herself into the hallway. She looked up at her mother with a confused expression on her face. "Where did you come from?"

Cora smirked. "Nowhere of importance, dear. Now, care to tell me what you were doing with the Northern Kingdom's princess?"

* * *

 **A/N:** Good news for any readers of _A Serendipitous Encounter_...the prevailing opinion among reviewers and those who have PM'd me is that you want a sequel, so I have decided to make it happen (at least a short one, anyway). I'm currently outlining how the journey will continue for the two women, and once I have a solid storyline worked out, I'll start to post it (hopefully I will have a chapter ready in the next few weeks.) As always, thanks for reading and I hope you're enjoying it!


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** This picks up right where chapter 3 left off.

* * *

Regina opened her mouth to answer her mother's question, but was quickly cut off by her mother. "Not here," Cora stated. She quickly poofed them to Regina's quarters for privacy.

"You know that I joined Daddy on the tour for Emma and Killian, so I was just walking her back so she wouldn't get lost," Regina explained.

"I see…but why were you only with Emma? Where was Killian?"

Regina was debating whether to expand further, but she didn't want to get her father in trouble since he was the one who suggested she take Emma to the gardens unaccompanied. She finally stated: "Killian had already gone to his quarters by the time you saw me with Emma." That was not technically a lie, as Regina had witnessed Killian returning to the guest quarters before she left Emma for the evening.

"Regina, you need to be careful. I have been keeping an eye on Snow and the princess since their arrival, and those two are up to something."

"Mother, need I remind you that it was your idea for me to flirt with Killian to distract him from the upcoming game and to throw a wrench into Snow's plans to set up him up with her daughter?"

Cora interrupted. "Exactly, sweet child. You cannot be so naïve to think that they are not plotting some plan of their own."

Regina held back an eye roll. "As I was saying…It would be one thing for me to try and 'steal' Killian from Emma as it is, but if I can get close to her and make her think that we could be friends, it will make her heartbreak even worse. It virtually guarantees a victory for our side," Regina smirked.

Cora grinned. "Well, perhaps there is hope for you after all, my dear girl."

"As I said earlier, Mother, I learned from the best."

"Indeed you did, dear. Indeed you did," Cora smiled, appearing genuine for a rare moment. "And how have your lessons been going? Have you been practicing?"

Regina looked down at her hand and conjured a small flame, quickly making it grow into a medium-sized ball. She grinned. "You tell me?"

Her mother laughed and then snuffed out the flame in Regina's hand with her own. "Excellent start. I knew you would be a quick study. And, to learn mostly on your own without formal instruction is impressive, dear."

"Well, I have you. I am not completely on my own," Regina stated. She had learned that when her mother offered her compliments, which were few and far between, it was always best to respond by stroking Cora's ego.

Cora sighed. "You are correct, you are not completely on your own. But, you know I cannot teach you as much as I wish I could. We are both very powerful and need to limit using magic simultaneously when we are in close proximity to one another. There are people out there who can sense such things, and it could end very poorly for you and me both."

"So you have said, Mother..."

Cora ignored her daughter's interruption. "We need to keep your abilities hidden until you are ready to take the throne. There are already rumors and I have done my best to lay them to rest, including taking some extreme, more permanent measures against those who were the worst gossips."

Regina cringed at the notion that her mother undoubtingly executed villagers over a rumor that was in fact true. She thought it was a bit of an overreaction, but she could never tell her mother that – she would just think Regina was weak-willed and would question her suitability for the throne. After all, Cora always taught her that a queen must be ruthless and protect herself first. It was one of the reasons she had become such a great chess player. The metaphor was a little too spot-on.

Cora continued. "But nonetheless, they will continue to circulate despite my efforts to quell them. The people of our kingdom, and all the kingdoms, for that matter, do not want someone else with magic in power. That is dangerous for you. They will have no choice but to accept it once you are their queen, but until then, I fear what they would do to stop you from your ascension."

"I know, Mother. I have not told anyone about my ability. Other than you and Daddy, no one knows. And I have been able to control it much better the past few years. There have been no other incidents like the one when I was 21." Regina shuttered at the memory, which still nauseated her. She had been visiting with a potential suitor, exploring the family's manor and gardens with the young Lord Daniel. She had been getting along splendidly with the gentleman. For the first time since her parents had started showing her off to suitable young men, she felt that she would be amenable to one finally courting her. Things were going well until he kissed her. She did not mind his actions, but his younger brother had walked over to them at that moment and caught them. He had threatened to tell both sets of parents of the impropriety, which angered Regina. She accidentally singed Daniel's hand, which still held hers, and then set off a larger chain reaction, lighting several of the hedges in the garden on fire. Both Daniel and his brother were stunned and frightened, calling Regina a witch. Her mother happened to come outside at that moment and quickly extinguished Regina's inferno. Regina apologized profusely, but the boys continued to threaten to expose her for who she really was. Cora gave her daughter a telling look before saying that she had no choice; Cora ripped out Daniel's heart while concurrently choking the life out of his brother from afar. Regina was appalled. She knew her mother had executed people in the past, but she was stunned at how her mother did it with such a casual ease, as if she were merely shaking someone's hand. Cora magically disposed of the bodies and then cast a memory spell, wiping any memory of the men from their parents' minds. When Regina asked her mother why she did not just use a memory spell on their sons so they would forget what they had witnessed, she just shrugged and gave Regina one of the most unsettling grins she had ever seen cross someone's lips. It was then that Regina finally realized how heartless her mother was.

Cora's voice brought Regina back to the present. "I know, dear. I would have heard about it if there had been, and you know I would have taken care of it. Fortunately, I have not needed to go to such extreme measures recently. Now, have you told your father you are learning magic?"

Regina shook her head. "Of course not, Mother. You told me not to, and I would not disobey you. The spell books you gave me are cloaked as mundane novels. If anyone else were to flip through the pages, they would see nothing but fairytales and fables."

"Good girl. Keep studying those. And I think it goes without saying that we will have to pause our lessons while we entertain our guests," Cora said with disdain. "Plus, with the Dark One in the dungeon, I do not want him to sense how powerful you indeed are. You may continue to read the books and practice conjuring fire when you are here in your room, but I do not want you attempting anything else while he is here, and never outside of your private quarters. I have placed an enchantment around your room to block your magic from escaping these walls, but it is not a strong enough spell to extend much further and can only contain so much magic. A few small conjuring spells should not break through it. But, if he gets wind of your magical signature and its strength, I do not want to think about what he may try."

Regina nodded. "You have my word, Mother. I promise."

"Good. Sleep well, Regina." Her mother turned and exited the room, heading back toward her own quarters.

Regina fell back onto her bed and sighed. She then looked over at her hand, smiled, and created another flame before doing the same in the other hand. She sat up and threw them into the fireplace, lighting the logs on fire before crawling under the covers and going to sleep.

*.*.*

"So, what do you think?" Cora asked Rumplestiltskin as she held a small mirror in front of his cell, allowing them both to watch as Regina lit the fire in her hearth.

"She does have promise," he conceded. "But, you already knew that. As did I, when I asked to be her tutor many years ago. So, what has changed?"

Cora looked at him. "I do not wish for you to teach her. You cannot teach her anyway, since you are a prisoner of the Charmings…which I still do not understand how you let them capture you, by the way. Really an amateur mistake, Rumple."

He scoffed. "Then why bring this mirror magic to me if you do not want me to do anything? You know I do not like to be teased, Cora. I always want what I cannot have, and eventually I always get it. You know that better than anyone."

She snapped the compact mirror shut in her palm and took one step closer to his cage. "Just because you cannot teach her directly, does not mean you cannot be of use to us."

"You know I only make deals that will benefit me, dearie. Unless you can get me my freedom, I do not see why you are wasting my time."

Cora laughed. "Oh dear Rumple," she said, running a finger along his chin. "I cannot get you your freedom now, but that does not mean I will not find a way in the future. Besides, you are immortal. If you play your cards right and once the Charmings are out of power, maybe their precious Princess Emma will let you go."

"You have my attention. Continue…"

"You and I have certainly had our fair share of disagreements, but I do not want to see you locked up here anymore than you do. In the end, we have always wanted the same thing: power, and to see those sweet little Charmings and their little perfect kingdom brought to justice. And, I have information that will be of great value to you."

"Go on…" he said.

"I know my darling husband is hopeful that Regina will be able to reach an amicable agreement with the Charming's crown princess…he is hoping they will put an end to our rivalry once and for all so that the future of our kingdoms will be peaceful. But, that is not possible. Tell me, dear Rumple, how much time have you spent in the presence of Princess Emma? Prior to her parents binding you with squid ink and effectively disabling all your magical ability, that is."

Rumple smirked, vaguely aware of the direction this conversation was heading. "None."

Cora smiled. "Precisely. I thought that might be the case. See, you and I both know that I lied to my daughter about my concern over you sensing her magic while we have visitors here. With the squid ink in place, you cannot read magical signatures or sense much of anything. Plus, you are already well aware of her power, even though she does not know that."

He nodded. "This is all true. Please get to your point."

"In a rush, Rumple? Have someplace you need to be?" Cora rolled her eyes at his insolence before continuing. "Emma, on the other hand, has the potential for great magical power. I doubt that she or her parents are aware of it, for I did not sense it myself until the most recent time I met the princess at her parents' castle when we were discussing the battle of Avonlea. It must not have become noticeable until she turned 18, or maybe even 21. I have not seen her since she was a young teenager…but that is beside the point. Her magic is still relatively latent, but it is most certainly there, lying in wait below the surface. And, I fear it may be more powerful than mine, and maybe even Regina's."

At that declaration Rumple perked up, his curiosity now piqued. "Oh?"

"It is white magic. Pure. She is the product of true love, after all. And her magic will not fully manifest until it needs to, and even though it is light in nature, it can still cause destruction to us, and to those like us."

"I see…and how do you plan to stop that from happening?"

Cora looked him straight in the eye. "Regina."

Rumple giggled. "But dearie, you just said that Emma is more powerful than Regina."

Cora clicked her tongue. "No, I said she might be. But Emma does not know that yet, nor does Regina. With training and the benefit of knowing about Emma's potential this early, I can prepare Regina. None of this will really matter until they are both on the throne. If Emma's parents find out she has magic, they will do what they can to try to remove it, block it, bind it, whatever." Cora rolled her eyes at the notion. "We both know that anything they do will either be temporary, or not work at all. One day, it will come to be, and at that time Emma will do what she needs to in order to learn to use it. Regina needs to be prepared. She can use Emma's training period and novice status to her advantage. If she waits too long, or if Emma finds out sooner and learns to use it, then Emma might overpower her and destroy or takeover our kingdom in the process."

Rumple nodded. "And how do you plan to do that? Why not tell Regina about Emma's abilities now?"

Cora shook her head. "Because she is not ready to hear it yet, especially with this silly chess tournament in front of her. She needs to win. Meanwhile, I plan to use this time getting to know Emma and doing a little reconnaissance, as Emma and I are both serving as seconds in this stupid game. After this ridiculousness is completed and Regina continues to grow more powerful, then I will tell Regina the truth."

"And you are not worried that Regina will sense Emma's magical abilities during this whole display of sportsmanship? After all, you said so yourself, Regina has the potential to be a powerful sorceress, even more powerful than you."

"She does, but she does not have the skill yet to know how to interpret what she feels. After sensing Emma's potential power myself, I intentionally decided to delay teaching Regina that skill. She might sense something is different about Emma, but because Emma's power is still dormant, Regina will not pick up on it as magic just yet. She has only just started to sense mine, and mine is practically seeping out of my pores all day long. Plus, light magic feels different than dark magic, so I doubt Regina would connect that she is sensing a magical signature. I am not worried. And if she were to notice, I would tell her she is just picking up mine, or yours, or someone else's. She would never know where it originates." She paused, taking a breath in preparation. "But, all this brings me back to my original point. I know you do not want to see someone with powerful light magic to learn to wield it."

"No, I do not."

"Good. We are on the same page then, once again."

"I suppose we are. What is it that would you like from me?"

Cora looked at him. "I am not quite sure of the specifics yet. I know you cannot teach her, but I imagine there are items in your possession at your castle than may be of use to me and my daughter. I would like access to your manor to see what we may need in her training. Books, ingredients, relics, and the like."

Rumple giggled. "I would never allow you to run amok around my property, Cora. There are too many things you could ruin."

She rolled her eyes. "Please Rumple, I do not have time to go gallivanting through your booby traps and sort through your hoarded antiques. I do not need to physically go there. I just need to know what may help us, and then with your guidance of navigation, I can create a channel or portal of sorts to reach through and obtain those items."

Rumple nodded. "I suppose that may be agreeable. Allow me to create a mental inventory. We shall discuss the details later."

"Very well." Cora turned to leave, stepping over the two unconscious guards on the floor. As she turned the corner she undid her spell, allowing them to wake and resume their post, none the wiser that Rumple had had a visitor that evening.

* * *

 **A/N:** So, I know this was a super short chapter and really focused mostly on Rumple and Cora, but I needed to work these two scenes in and it wasn't completed when I posted chapter 3, so I had to make it its own mini-chapter. I promise that chapter 5 will have more interaction between Emma and Regina.

Thanks again for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning Regina awoke to Grace, her favorite handmaid, gently nudging her shoulder. "Princess Regina, you need to wake up."

Regina groaned and opened her eyes to look at the young girl, who would be turning sixteen the following week. She realized how bright it was in the room, indicating the late dawn hour. "Oh my, I overslept." She quickly sat up, gathering her bearings.

Grace smiled. "Yes, you did. But it is all right. Breakfast will be served in five minutes. If you hurry, you can still make it on time."

"Why did you not wake me sooner?" Regina asked kindly, not wanting to sound irritated.

"I was going to, but your father said to let you sleep a bit longer. He said you would need your rest to prepare for the match later this week."

Regina nodded. "Thank you, Grace." She got out of bed and walked over to her wardrobe, selecting a simple dark blue dress that would require minimal effort to don. Grace assisted her before stepping out of the room. Fortunately, Regina had fallen asleep with her hair still in a braided twist from the day before, and it remained in place overnight so she could leave it alone for the time being.

She exited her quarters and quickly made her way down the staircase toward the dining hall. One of the guards opened the door for her before bowing as she rushed inside and approached the vacant seat to the left of her mother at the table. "Sorry I'm late," she said, taking her seat.

"It is quite all right, Princess Regina," King David said.

Regina smiled and bowed her head politely before accepting the cup of tea one of the servants had brought out for her. As she sipped the hot beverage, her mother leaned over to whisper in her ear. "We will talk about your carelessness and selfish behavior later, Regina," she scolded.

Regina rolled her eyes, finding her mother's words hypocritical. After all, Cora had never done any deed that was not selfish at its very core. Self-serving was all Cora knew. Nonetheless, Regina knew she had to kowtow to her mother. "I apologize, Mother. It was not my intention to be tardy. Father had told the handmaid not to wake me and allow me to rest a bit longer."

"We have guests, Regina. You must always be a proper host."

Emma watched the hushed, yet heated exchange between Regina and Cora and felt a desire to pull Regina into a new conversation to give the woman a break from her mother, but she ultimately said nothing. She shook her head, unsure of where that urge originated. Regina was a princess did not need saving, especially not from her own mother.

Most of the meal was consumed in silence, with unimportant small talk occasionally being made between the families. Regina and Emma were both uncharacteristically quiet, never speaking up unless directly asked a question. Cora continued to periodically whisper something to Regina, causing the younger woman to become more agitated as the meal progressed.

*.*.*

Breakfast concluded and Cora gracefully excused herself and headed toward her study, but not before sending a pointed glare toward her daughter. Regina caught her eye and then quickly looked away, suddenly finding her father's discussion with King David fascinating. Emma watched curiously, trying to discern what was going on between mother and daughter. Snow had always told Emma that Cora was ruthless and a powerful sorceress, but Emma had assumed that surely Cora would be kind and loving toward her own daughter. As Emma observed their interactions over breakfast and in the hallway before Cora's departure, she could no longer be certain that was the case. "Princess Regina, would you still be willing to finish the tour of your palace?" Emma asked the brunette.

"Of course. I would be happy to. Excuse me, Father, King David," she said, bowing her head toward each of the kings before signaling for Emma to follow her. Emma excused herself as well and walked down the hallway to meet up with the Western Kingdom's princess.

"Are you okay?" Emma asked her quietly as they walked down the hall.

"Yes, of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

"I did not mean to imply anything. I just got the sense that there was some tension between you and Queen Cora this morning."

"When isn't there tension between me and my mother?" Regina mumbled under her breath. She looked over at Emma who had raised her eyebrows at her comment. "Sorry, that was inappropriate. We just do not have the best relationship and disagree on a lot of issues. But, everything is fine." Regina gave a small smile to Emma, one that she hoped was reassuring.

Emma did not fully believe her, but she let it go. "This wing is lovely," she said, changing the topic as they turned left and entered two double doors to the south end of the palace. Large art adorned the walls, and there were ornate gold scrolls on the pillars supporting the ceiling. A grand marble staircase was situated at the end of the corridor, and there were several oak doors on each side of the hallway.

"Yes, I have always loved this wing. It took some convincing, but my parents finally allowed me to move into the quarters upstairs a few years ago when I turned 20. My mother was not pleased giving me more independence, but my father reminded her that I would be overseeing the entire kingdom one day, so managing one wing of the palace should not be too burdensome and would be good practice."

"I am glad your father seems to be so supportive of you," Emma said. Regina did not say anything, but merely nodded and smiled softly. "So aside from your living quarters upstairs, what else is in this wing?" Emma asked, sensing a hesitance on Regina's part to discuss her parents further.

Regina opened the first door on the right, revealing an elegant sitting room with floor-to-ceiling mahogany bookcases. "Well, this is our library…or rather, one of them. My father and mother each have their own library in their private wing."

"It is stunning."

"And this…" Regina began as she opened a side door to an adjoining room, "is the billiards room, although it is mostly used for chess these days." Regina motioned to the large marble chess table under the large windows that looked out onto the gardens.

"Wow," Emma said, taking a step inside the room and admiring the walls which were covered in gold carvings. Her eyes widened when she looked up at the ceiling and saw a large crystal chandelier.

"Yeah…it is a little extravagant."

"Perhaps, but it really is something."

"My mother loves to show off her wealth. Modesty is not her strong suit."

"Clearly," Emma said without thinking. She gasped when she realized what she said. She was about to apologize when she heard Regina laugh, not bothered at all by Emma's comment that could easily have been considered rude. If Cora had been there, Emma could be facing execution for such a statement.

Regina continued to show Emma around the palace, forgoing the second floor of the south wing where her private quarters were and the entire west end of the palace where her parents' offices and private quarters were located. Her parents' space was always off-limits to guests, especially rival royal families. They continued to lightly converse throughout the tour, mostly as Emma made mental comparisons between the grandeur of Regina's palace and the eccentricity of her family's palace back home. "I will need to give you a tour when the second match is played in our kingdom," Emma had said to Regina as they made their way down another hallway. "You will think my mother has had a mental breakdown when you see how it is decorated."

Regina laughed. "I would love to see that, Emma."

As Regina led Emma back toward the east end of the palace where they were staying, Emma asked if they could see the stables. "Ever since you mentioned it last night in the garden, I have been wanting to try riding again. It has been ages and I am sure that I will embarrass myself, but I did always love it as a child."

"There is not enough time now, as I believe you are supposed to train with Killian…although, distracting you from training my opponent with a horseback ride does sound like it would be a wise move on my part," Regina commented.

Emma chuckled. "Yes, perhaps riding will need to wait."

"I have a few things to take care of anyway, and I need to change into my riding clothes. Why don't you meet me in the gardens in two hours' time and we can head out to the stables?"

"I look forward to it."

Regina nodded and walked Emma to the door of Killian's suite where she was to meet him for a scrimmage to continue his preparation for the first game in the tournament. Regina knocked once before she opened the door to the common area, revealing the chess set. "Here you are," she said, stepping aside so Emma could enter. As Emma walked past her, something caught Regina's attention. She eyed the wall suspiciously, noticing a large mirror hanging on the wall. That mirror had not been on the wall the last time she was in that room, only a few months prior when her cousins had come to stay at the palace. Regina glared at it but said nothing. Instead, she bid Emma farewell and left Emma to her training session with Killian.

*.*.*

Regina stormed down the hallway, leaving the east wing and heading straight for her mother's study where she knew what she would find. She tried to open the door but was forcefully thrown backward by a magical barrier her mother had placed. "Shit," she groaned as her back collided with the wall on the opposite side of the hallway.

Suddenly, Cora appeared in the doorway to her study, scowling at Regina who was still crouched on the floor across the hall recovering from the violent toss. "What have I told you about barging in without knocking?"

"Jesus, Mother. That was unnecessary," she said, finally rising to her feet as she clutched her ribs, wincing in pain.

"I would say it is most necessary and clearly quite effective. You got what you deserved. I do not wish to be bothered."

Regina walked purposely toward her mother, who was still standing in the open doorway. She tentatively stuck out her hand, but quickly withdrew it, still repelled by the spell in place. She glowered at her mother, who let out an exasperated sigh and waved the barrier away with her hand.

"Won't you please come in, dear?" Cora sarcastically asked.

Regina rolled her eyes as she entered the room. She walked to the middle of the room and did a quick inspection before directing herself to the mirror on the wall over a bureau, on which an open decanter of clear liquor sat. She poured herself a glass and took a sip, making a face when she realized it was gin. She much preferred the smoothness of scotch or cider, a trait she shared with her father, but even vodka would have been better than gin.

"Care to explain what has you in such a tizzy, Regina? It is far too early for you to be drinking."

 _It is never too early to start drinking when you are around,_ Regina thought to herself as she pounded back the rest of the gin. "Ugh, that tastes like forest. I do not know how you drink that," she said after she swallowed the last of the liquid in the tumbler. She then fixed her gaze on the mirror on the wall, waving her hand in front of it to no avail.

"Please, Regina, that is far too advanced for you to even try. Plus, what did I tell you about using magic when there is a certain prisoner in the dungeon?" Cora reprimanded.

"Please, Mother, if you were truly concerned you would not have used that level of magic to place a barrier around this room to keep me out. My feeble magic will not be a blip on the Dark One's radar compared to what you have been up to."

Cora narrowed her eyes. "What are you implying, Regina?"

"Mirror magic. I now know how you plan to get a leg up on Killian during our match. I saw the new décor in the guest suite this morning."

"And just what were you doing in the guest suite, Regina?"

"I suppose if I said I was seducing Killian you would not believe me?"

Her mother rolled her eyes. "Of course I would not. Although, that is not a bad idea."

"Mother!"

"Oh relax, Regina. I do not wish for you to actually fornicate with the man. In fact, that idea is repulsive on every level. But, if you can make Snow and Emma think…"

Regina interrupted. "That is enough, Mother."

"Very well, but that begs my original question. What were you doing in his suite?"

Regina sighed. "I was giving Emma a tour and led her back there so she could have her practice game with Killian. I saw the mirror from the doorway when I let her in."

"Did you not give her a tour last night? I know Snow and David are quite dimwitted, and thus their daughter is probably not the brightest, but has she forgotten where everything is already?"

Regina had completely forgotten that she told her mother the previous night that she gave Emma a tour, when in reality they had only seen the gardens. She quickly brushed it off. "Well, it got late last night so I did not have a chance to give her a full tour. There were still a few noteworthy places to show her." Regina turned to leave and then stopped herself. "Wait, no, you do not get to distract me…you never answered my question."

"You never asked me one, dear. You only came in here making accusations," Cora pointed out.

Regina realized her mother was right. "Okay, fine, here is my question. Are you using mirror magic to spy on my opponent?" Regina gestured to the mirror on the wall.

Cora smirked. "Not with that one, Regina. Please. That would be far too obvious."

Regina stared at her mother, who produced a small compact mirror in her hand.

"Here. Look for yourself," Cora said, offering Regina the mirror.

Regina opened it and saw Emma and Killian sitting down at the chess set. She snapped it shut in disgust. "Mother, that is cheating."

"Hardly," Cora said. "It is research. There is a difference. Nothing I am doing will directly influence the result of your match. _You_ still have to play well. It is not as though I am changing the places of the pieces on the board or placing a spell on Killian to make him forget how to play. I am merely using the tools at my disposal to better prepare you for your match."

"I want no part of this, Mother. I want to win or lose on my own merits, not because you have found a way to navigate around the rules to give me an unfair advantage."

"That is nonsense, Regina. You would be a fool to ignore an opportunity like this. Really dear, every day you make me more and more concerned about leaving our dynasty in your hands."

Regina decided on a different tactic. "What if you get caught? The Dark One is the arbiter and you said I have to keep my magic to a minimum while he is here. How will he not pick up on this?"

"The Dark One knows I am powerful, Regina. I am only concerned about you doing magic while he is here because I do not want him to learn about you, nor do I want our combined power to tip off any anti-magic individuals who may be lurking around. No one will sense anything coming from Killian's room – only the mirrors used on my end are enchanted, and no one expects me to cease all magic in my own home while we have guests. As far as anyone is concerned, the one in his room is just a standard mirror."

"I still do not like this, Mother."

"No one said you had to like it, Regina. Now, if you will please excuse me…" Cora waved her hand and the door to the study flew open, a silent command to make her daughter leave.

* * *

As promised, Emma met Regina in the gardens two hour later, dressed in khaki pants and a white polo shirt. Regina had changed as well into her black riding breeches and a light blue button down shirt. "Ready to go?" Regina asked as she approached the blonde, whose long wavy hair was pulled back into a long braid.

"Absolutely. But, you must promise not to mock me if I fall. It really has been a while."

"I promise," Regina laughed as she started walking toward the stables near the back of her property. "How was your practice with Killian?"

"It was good! Remind me to thank your father again later for setting up a board in Killian's room."

Regina bit her lip, contemplating whether she should advise Emma to move the board to a room without a mirror, but she ultimately decided that it would do more harm than good. The last thing she needed was for Snow and David to call into question the integrity of the tournament and resume the physical land battle over the border territory between their two kingdoms.

They arrived at the stables and Regina showed Emma the various horses, including her beloved Rocinante. "I have had him for 10 years now," she explained. "My father gave him to me when I turned 13."

"He is gorgeous," Emma commented as she gently scratched the horse's muzzle.

Regina smiled. He was her most prized possession, even though she did not like to think of him as something she owned. When she rode him around the property, she felt free, and she felt that she belonged to him as much as he belonged to her. "Pick one," she told Emma as she gestured to the stalls in the stable.

Emma slowly walked along the stalls, occasionally stopping to pet one of the horses before moving to the next. "Any suggestions?"

"I'll be right back, Rocinante," Regina whispered to her horse before giving him a gently pat and walking away. Regina indicated for Emma to follow her as she walked toward the end of the barn. "Personally, I would recommend Willow," she said, stopping at the stall and holding her hand out to the light grey mare. "She is on the smaller side, but she is very solid, and she has a calm demeanor. I think she would be perfect for your first ride in a decade."

Emma looked at the horse and nodded. "I agree. Hello, Willow, I'm Emma. Please do not throw me off of you."

Regina laughed as Emma introduced herself to the horse. "Let me go grab one of the stable boys and he will prepare her for you." She disappeared for a moment before sending over Augustus, a 14-year-old stablehand who grabbed a saddle and bridle for Willow. Emma moved out of the way so he could prepare the horse, and she quickly got distracted as she watched Regina lead Rocinante out of his stall and walk toward her.

"That was fast," Emma commented when she saw that Rocinante was ready.

"The stablehands are really quick. They know I only come down here if I am planning to ride so as soon as they see me they start prepping him."

Emma nodded and Augustus handed the reigns to Emma, indicating that Willow was ready to ride as well. He bowed to the two princesses before departing. Emma held the reigns in her hand and stared questioningly at the mare. "Umm, how am I supposed to get up there?" She asked Regina, slightly embarrassed.

She laughed. "I'll help you. Hang on." Regina quickly looped Rocinante's reigns around a post to keep him in place as she helped Emma onto her horse. Once Emma was securely atop Willow, Regina untied Rocinante and mounted him. She quickly reminded Emma of a few basics to get her started, and then they began slowly walking out of the barn and down the trail at the edge of the castle grounds.

After a few minutes, Emma seemed more comfortable so Regina signaled Rocinante to move into a slow trot. Emma replicated the movement and Willow increased her speed, catching up to Regina and her steed. They rode in companionable silence for the first 10 minutes, as Emma took in the view of the palace from a new perspective. "It really is lovely out here," she finally said.

Regina nodded as she looked around, trying to see her home through new eyes. She had lived there her entire life, and would presumably live there until her death, as she was slated to inherit the kingdom. "It is. It has been quite a nice place to grow up and call home, but sometimes I wish I had other options."

Emma looked over at her. "What do you mean?"

She sighed. "Do you ever feel like your entire life is predetermined, and you have do not have any free will to make your own choices?"

Emma grew contemplative as she thought about Regina's words. "Perhaps, but truthfully I have not really given it much thought. I was born a princess, so I always knew that I would be queen of my parents' kingdom one day. I never really entertained the idea of anything else."

"I know. I try not to think about it because it just depresses me. I do not mean to sound ungrateful, as I know there are many young girls who would quite literally kill to be in my position. But, sometimes I wonder what my life would be like if I was not of royal blood…if I were allowed to leave the palace grounds and interact with new people every day…people who would not only speak to me in hopes that I might give them something they desire, but instead wanted to get to know me as a person."

"I have enjoyed getting to know you as a person. I do not wish for anything in return," Emma stated sincerely.

Regina smiled. "Thank you, I appreciate that." They fell into another period of comfortable silence, before Regina spoke up. "Do you find this entire chess tournament to be as foolish as I do?"

"Without a doubt, yes," Emma responded immediately. "I cannot help but think there is more to this tournament than my parents are telling me."

Regina looked at Emma and furrowed her brow. "How so?" Regina was suspicious of her mother's tactics and motivations, but she had no reason to question King David and Queen Snow's intentions. Unlike her mother, they seemed to be of high moral character.

"I am not quite sure. It just seems strange to decide to suddenly suspend a battle of brute force that has been waging for over a year in favor of three games of chess."

Regina shrugged. "I agree, but it will save lives, so it cannot be all bad…"

"No, I agree with you on that point."

"You know, my father did tell me yesterday that he hoped you and I would become friends, or at least acquaintances, in order to put aside our families' differences by the time we are each in power. Maybe this is some ploy to facilitate peace for the future."

"Perhaps, but I think there is something deeper at play. I just have not figured it out yet."

"Well if there is, I have not figured it out, either. If I do, I will let you know."

"Thank you, Regina."

"So, can I ask you about Killian?" Regina inquired.

Emma looked at Regina suspiciously. "That depends. I am certainly not revealing anything about his chess playing abilities."

Regina laughed. "No, I would never try to get that information out of you. I respect the role and loyalty of a second to her player."

"Okay, then go ahead."

"Is your mother really trying to set you two up?"

Emma nodded and then raised a brow. "She is. Why, are you interested in him?"

"Would that bother you?" Regina smirked.

Emma swallowed thickly, not sure why the answer to that question would be "yes." She certainly did not have any interest in Killian, but she did not like the idea of Regina and Killian together, either. She quickly shook her head to help clear those thoughts away. "No, as I have no interest in him. But, you might have to answer to my mother. She may seem pure of heart, but she is good with a bow and arrow."

"Duly noted."

* * *

 **A/N:** I hope this chapter made up for the lack of SQ interaction in the chapter 4 :) Obviously, this is a slowburn story, as there are still potentially two more months before the end of the tournament, and plenty of more for the two women to discover about one another and their families, but their relationship will continue to progress steadily with each new chapter. I'm anticipating this will be around 15-20 chapters or so in total. The next chapter will jump ahead a few days to the first chess game, which will be anything but a boring run-of-the-mill chess game. I hope you're enjoying this story, and thank your for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

"Regina, you are late….again," Cora scolded as Regina sat down for breakfast.

"Cora, give her a break. She has a big day today," Henry said softly to his wife before turning toward his daughter. "How are you this morning, Regina?"

"I am well, Father. Thank you," she said before taking a bite of the baked apple and cinnamon turnover one of the footmen had brought her.

An awkward silence fell over the breakfast table for the next ten minutes, with the Western Kingdom family at one end of the table and the Northern Kingdom family at the opposite end. It was the morning of the first chess match, and while the families had been civil over the past few days, the friction of the impending battle was building.

"These apples are delicious," Emma finally commented, cutting through the tension. "Are these from your orchard, Regina?"

Regina let out a relieved sigh, grateful for someone to end the silence. "Yes, they are. I'm glad you like them." She had not spent any time with Emma since their horseback riding excursion a few days earlier, as Emma along with her parents and Killian had spent most of their time in the marketplace in the village to explore the kingdom.

"Are you feeling ready for the match, Princess Regina?" Snow asked her.

"Of course she is," Cora replied on Regina's behalf.

"Mother, I am perfectly capable of answering for myself," Regina declared. She was immediately met with a harsh glare from her mother, causing her to sink back into her chair and look down at the remaining bite of pastry on her plate. After taking a deep breath, she stood up. "If you will all excuse me, I am going to return to my chambers to get ready for this afternoon." She nodded politely at the visiting royal family before leaving the dining hall.

Emma watched as Regina departed, and she quickly excused herself to follow the brunette princess. "Regina, wait." She softly called as she closed the large oak dining hall door behind her.

Regina stopped halfway down the hallway and turned around to face her guest. "What can I do for you, Emma?" Her voice was more clipped than she intended, but she was still on edge after yet another confrontation with her mother.

"I just wanted to say good luck today," Emma said as she approached her. "And I wanted to make sure you were okay. You seem a bit stressed."

Regina's stance instantly softened. "Thank you, Emma. I am sorry for the way I behaved at breakfast. It's just that my mother knows exactly which threads to pull to irritate me. She drives me crazy."

Emma chuckled. "Yeah, I can see that."

"Anyway, thank you. I really am fine."

Emma smiled shyly as she nodded and turned to head back toward the dining room.

"Emma," Regina called after her. When the blonde spun around to face her, Regina allowed a genuine smile to cross her face for the first time all morning. "Good luck to you and Killian as well."

"Thanks, Regina."

"I look forward to destroying him."

"I look forward to watching you try." Both women grinned as they walked in opposite directions to continue their morning preparations.

* * *

That afternoon, King Henry and King David were led by the guards into the palace courtyard, accompanied by Regina, Killian, and Emma. There were more than 70 attendees seated around the perimeter of the yard, all of whom were invited guests from both kingdoms to observe the match. Moments later, Queen Cora and Queen Snow arrived from the opposite end of the courtyard, emerging from a staircase to the dungeon with Rumplestiltskin in tow. He walked with an unnatural gait, as both his hands and feet were bound in shackles. While his magic was blocked by the squid ink, they wanted to physically restrain him as well, lest he tried to run. The two queens slowly led him to the stage erected in the center of the courtyard, and he took his place on the podium.

"Welcome, esteemed visitors from the Northern and Western Kingdoms," Rumple stated loudly as he addressed the audience. "You all know why we are here today, so allow me to introduce the players so we can begin. From the Northern Kingdom, we have Sir Killian Jones. He is accompanied by his second, Princess Emma. From the Western Kingdom, we have Princess Regina, and her second, Queen Cora."

The audience politely applauded as Killian and Regina shook hands before taking their places at the chess board, placed atop a table at the front of the stage. Emma and Cora moved to the side, sitting down next to one another near the edge of the stage to observe. As seconds, they were not to interfere with game play, but they would keep close watch of the game to debrief their players after the match. Neither Emma nor Cora had seen the opposing player in action, so they were unsure of what to expect. As the parties got situated on the stage, Henry, David, and Snow sat down in the front row of the audience and waited for the game to commence.

With his shackled hands, Rumple carefully picked up a black and a white pawn and placed both pieces into a small black pouch. He carefully tied the bag and shook it gently. "Princess Regina, would you like to select your piece or would you like Killian to do so?"

"He is the guest in our kingdom," Regina stated as she gestured to her opponent," so he can select his piece."

Rumple untied the bag and held it out to Killian, who averted his eyes as he reached in to pull out his selection. He opened his hand to reveal the black pawn. "Princess Regina shall play white and make the opening move," Rumple announced to the crowd. Regina and Killian quickly set up their respective pieces as Rumple reminded the spectators and players of the regulations of the match. "There are three clocks arranged on the table. Each player has a stopwatch set to countdown from two hours, which is the maximum time allotted to either player. The master clock here will time the match overall, which shall not exceed four hours. The game shall end when one player is in checkmate or one player's two hour limit has expired…whichever happens first."

As arbiter, Rumple checked the positioning of the pieces Killian and Regina set up, and upon seeing that everything was in order, he started Regina's clock. Regina moved her queen's knight to begin the game. Her move immediately threw Killian off, as Emma and his other opponents always opened with pawns during their training. Cora smirked when she saw Killian's dumbfounded expression right away. Regina's opening was not necessarily a great strategy, other than for the purpose to confuse her opponent. It appeared to have done so quite successfully.

The game continued, and neither player had a clear advantage two hours into the match.

Killian had captured more of Regina's pieces, but the majority were pawns that she sacrificed willingly. Regina, on the other hand, had more valuable pieces left in play, only missing one bishop. Meanwhile, Killian had lost both knights, a rook, and a bishop.

Cora scrutinized every move her daughter made, as she could not discern Regina's strategy. She noticed her husband and King David out of the corner of her eye and scoffed. They both appeared quite jovial as the game progressed, which she could not understand given what was at stake. While Cora kept a close watch on Regina, Snow's eyes never left Cora. Snow could not have cared less about the gameplay, as she was not entirely sure of the rules of chess and always found it to be exceptionally boring. She was, however, distrustful of the other woman and despite Cora's promises that there would be no magic used during the game, she still had her suspicions. Emma, too, was paying close attention, studying both Killian and Regina. She allowed her gaze to linger on Regina a little longer than what would ordinarily be appropriate, but she justified it to herself that she was learning the woman's mannerisms and strategy. For example, she noticed Regina would often purse her lips while she was deciding her next move. She had yet to determine if that indicated a particular move she was about to make or a particular emotion she was feeling at the time, but Emma found it adorable nonetheless.

It was Regina's turn and she was a much slower player than Killian. Cora took note that of the two hours of playing time that had elapsed, Regina had used nearly 90 minutes of that time. She was a more deliberate player and took her time on each turn. However, Cora started to feel uneasy, realizing that while Regina was on track to win, she might run out of time before she could implement her endgame strategy. Cora sat back in her chair and crossed her legs, placing her left arm over her abdomen and supporting her other elbow on left wrist, allowing her chin to rest on her hand. Snow looked at her and back at Regina after noticing Cora shifting in her seat; she wondered if Cora was trying to mime a message to her daughter. Snow settled down after realizing that Regina was looking only at the board and occasionally Killian, but was not paying any attention to her mother's movements.

Cora watched and bided her time – Rumple was slowly circling the board, watching from all angles and occasionally sparing a glance to Cora and Emma to ensure that they were not violating any rules. When Rumple's back was to Cora, she saw her opening and took it. Without lifting a finger, she subtly adjusted the stopwatches, adding five minutes to Regina's available remaining time and deducting five from Killian. While this would not impact the match greatly, she wanted to test Rumple's powers of observation to see if he, or anyone in attendance, would detect her minor alteration. Fortunately for Cora, no one seemed to notice. Cora smiled as Regina captured another of Killian's pawns and set herself up for the potential first "check" of the game. She relaxed a bit, thinking she might not need to intervene further if Regina could speed up her game play and bring it to a conclusion quickly. Cora acknowledged that this was the primary weakness of Regina's game – she always took too long in the beginning and had a hard time executing her plan when under a time constraint.

Twenty-five minutes later Regina had captured two more of Killian's pieces while evading capture herself, but her time was running out – she had ten minutes of gameplay left, thanks to Cora's extra five minutes she magically summoned earlier. But, Cora knew it was not enough for Regina to win. Cora quickly assessed the people around her and saw that everyone was staring intently at the board - even Snow had forgotten her suspicions and had become engrossed in the game, despite not fully understanding it. Cora decided to make her move. She paused Killian's clock and rewound it an extra fifteen minutes. She then sat back and waited for Regina or Rumple to notice.

Cora did not need to wait long, as Regina immediately hit the button on her clock after making her next move. When she did so, she noticed the second hand on Killian's did not begin moving as it normally would at the start of his turn. She tapped her clock again, but nothing happened. She looked up at Killian and then over to Rumple. "Is there a problem, Dearie?" he asked her.

"Yes, Killian's clock is stuck and is not counting down."

Rumple looked closely and realized that it had indeed stopped, and due to the squid ink he could not sense Cora's magical interference. "Hmm. I must call a time-out, as there is a problem with one of the play clocks," he declared to the crowd, causing both Cora and Emma to approach the center of the stage. Regina looked at her mother who shrugged in nonchalance.

A moment later, Henry, David, and Snow approached. "What is going on?" Snow asked.

"I must ask that you three return to your seats. Only official game players and their seconds can be up here," Rumple stated.

Henry quickly jumped in. "We will, when you explain what is happening."

"Well, it appears Killian's clock must have stopped a little while ago. The official gameplay clock shows that two hours and twenty-five minutes have elapsed, but the combined time on the players' clocks only show two hours and ten minutes have been played."

"You did this," Snow accused as she approached Cora.

"I'm sorry?" Cora asked, feigning confusion.

"You did this," she repeated, punctuating each word.

"Dear Snow, don't be silly. If I were going to interfere, why would I stop Killian's clock and give him the advantage?"

Snow was taken aback, conceding that Cora had a point. "Oh. I apologize."

"It is quite alright, dear. I understand that you are loath to trust me," she said. "So, Rumple," Cora continued, "As arbiter, what are you going to do about this?"

Rumple contemplated his options for a moment, before turning to address the audience. He explained the situation to the crowd before revealing his decision. "Given that this appears to be nothing but a mechanical error of the equipment, and given how far the game has progressed, I think the only fair thing to do is to carry on, giving Princess Regina an extra 15 minutes on her clock to account for the 15 minutes that Killian played without losing any time on his clock." Rumple took out the spare set of clocks from under the table, on hand for an incident like this as Emma handed him the defective clocks to remove them from play. The crowd murmured in shock and Cora held back an eye roll, finding it utterly preposterous that so many people cared so deeply about this game.

"I think that is a fair resolution," Henry said, and David nodded his head in agreement.

"I agree with King Henry. That seems like a just solution."

"Very well. Shall we resume?" Rumple asked, signaling for the royal families to take their seats and for the seconds to return to their stations.

Regina and Killian sat back down at the table and were given a 30 second period to look over the board and re-center themselves before resuming. Rumple took that time to adjust the time on the new clocks. Regina was back up to 25 minutes of remaining play time, which Cora hoped would be enough for her to put the ex-pirate in checkmate and put an end to this activity for the day. Fortunately for the Western Kingdom, Cora had trained Regina to work through distractions, and her laser-focus allowed her to jump back into the game. Killian, on the other hand, seemed to have more trouble adapting, and took nearly four minutes to make his first move after the recess. Cora smiled when he made a foolish move, allowing Regina to strategically use her rook to back up her queen for an impending attack.

With seven minutes left on her clock, Regina managed to put Killian in checkmate, proving to Cora that her dubious efforts were not in vain. "Princess Regina has won the match!" Rumple declared as Killian tipped over his king in submission, and the guests from the Western Kingdom applauded their victor. The players rose to their feet and shook hands over the table. Emma tried to suppress a smile as she saw Regina beaming with pride at her victory. However, Emma caught a glimpse of Cora in her peripheral vision and grew suspicious when she saw the expression on Cora's face.

"Well done, my dear Regina," Henry said, embracing his daughter. "I knew you could do it."

"Thank you, Daddy. I am glad I was able to make you and the kingdom proud."

Cora quickly interjected. "Well, you still have to win one more. Do not get ahead of yourself."

Henry rolled his eyes. "Cora, let Regina have her moment," he said sternly. Cora rolled her eyes and summoned Queen Snow to accompany her as they whisked Rumplestiltskin back to his prison cell.

"Congratulations, Princess," Killian said, extending a hand to Regina yet again as they descended the steps from the stage.

"Thank you, Sir Killian. You played very well," she responded, shaking his hand after they reached the ground.

"Not well enough, it would seem. But, we will have a rematch," he winked at her and walked away. Regina rolled her eyes. It seemed her mother's plan to make Killian interested in pursuing her may have been working.

Emma snuck away from the group to catch up with her player. "You should have won that," she said, somewhat bitterly.

"Regina is a good player."

"No, she got lucky. She had seven minutes left on her clock, Killian. Seven minutes. Without that extra 15 minutes from the malfunctioning equipment, she would have lost by default when her time ran out."

"So she got lucky. It won't happen again."

"It better not."

* * *

That evening, a large feast was held in the courtyard, after the groundskeepers quickly took down the makeshift stage from the chess match and converted it to a dining space. All guests who attended the game were welcomed at dinner, with the two royal families sitting at the long head table at the north end of the courtyard.

"Is this seat taken?" Emma asked as she approached Regina.

"No, by all means…"

"Thanks. I could not stand to sit next to my mother," Emma said as she sat down.

Regina snickered. "Uh oh…what happened with you two?"

"Nothing. She is just being her usual overly optimistic self. I am in no mood for a hope speech." Regina nodded her head as she glanced over at the Northern Kingdom's queen, who was looking unnaturally cheerful considering the loss they had that afternoon. "I have not had a chance to officially congratulate you yet," Emma continued. "So, congratulations, Regina." Emma extended her hand in a peaceful offering.

Regina eyed Emma's hand before raising a skeptical brow, but she acquiesced. "Thank you, Emma." Regina shook Emma's hand, lingering a moment longer when she thought she felt Emma give her a gentle squeeze. Her thoughts were quickly interrupted by her father's voice as he began to make a toast prior to the start of the meal. She hastily dropped Emma's hand and placed both of her own neatly in her lap.

"Thank you for coming to the first match up between the Northern and Western Kingdoms," he began. "We are honored to host visitors from the Northern Kingdom tonight for dinner, and we hope you have found your time in our land enjoyable. I would like to congratulate my lovely daughter, Princess Regina, on her victory this afternoon, and would also like to recognize Sir Killian for being a formidable opponent. It was a well-played game, and I look forward to the next match in 15 days in the Northern Kingdom. Now, let us eat." He finished by raising a glass, and the attendees all followed suit. Regina smiled as she raised her glass as well and caught her father's eye. He grinned genuinely at her, and she could not help but feel a bit of pride in her earlier win. She also saw her mother subtly frowning at the opposite end of the table, but she chose to ignore the older woman, at least for the time being. She wanted to enjoy the meal in peace.

As dinner began, which included Regina's favorite indulgence of roasted duck and potatoes, she and Emma found themselves discussing the politics of their families. "I still do not get it," Regina stated.

"What don't you get?"

"Our families have been so civil to one another over the past few days. I know our mothers never see eye to eye, but our fathers seem to be getting along like old chums," Regina started to explain. "I do not understand why our kingdoms are always fighting, nor the need for the chess match. Clearly we are capable of being amicable with one another."

Emma let her fork rest on her plate as she pondered Regina's point. "I suppose you are right. I do not see a reason for constant battles. I know we do not necessarily agree on who has the rightful claim to the Avonlea land, but why couldn't we divide it evenly down the middle? It does not seem that complex to me."

Regina chuckled. "That was my thought. But do you know what my mother would say?"

Emma raised her eyebrows in question.

Regina cleared her throat as she channeled her inner Cora. " 'My darling Regina…you silly, naïve little girl. You are not ready for the throne if you think simply dividing the land is the answer.'"

Emma laughed, and when she noticed both Snow and Cora glaring at her, she quickly tried to cover it with a fake cough, causing Regina to stifle a giggle. "That was terrifyingly accurate," Emma stated as she regained her composure. "That voice is spot on. Can you do me one favor?"

"Sure."

"When we are both finally on the throne, please never speak to me in that voice. It will give me nightmares."

"Deal."

*.*.*

After dinner was finished, the two royal families escorted their visitors out of the castle courtyard. "Well, it is still early," King Henry stated. "Would anyone care to join me for a friendly game of billiards and perhaps a glass of scotch?"

"I won't say 'no' to that," King David declared.

"Excellent! Cora? Queen Snow?" Henry asked, looking at the two queens. Both women scoffed in their own ways before responding. Cora rolled her eyes and walked back into the palace without saying a word, heading straight toward her study, while Snow politely declined and retired to their guest chambers. "How about you, Sir Killian?"

"I could handle a game before turning in for the evening," he replied.

"Ladies?" David asked, looking at his daughter and Regina.

Before Regina could respond, Emma answered. "Actually, I was going to ask Regina if she would mind showing me the gardens again. I would love to see them once more before we depart in the morning."

"Oh, of course. I do not mind at all," Regina said, surprised by Emma's request, but not at all opposed to it.

"Fair enough. Enjoy your evening," Henry said before leading the other two men back into the palace.

"I hope you do not mind," Emma said when they were left alone in the courtyard. "Would you rather have played billiards?"

Regina chuckled. "No. That is the only game where my father becomes far too competitive, especially when he has had a drink. I do not want to witness whatever happens in that room tonight. I think it is best we let the three of them work out that game on their own. I should be thanking you for giving me a reason to turn down my father's invitation."

"Well in that case, you are very welcome."

"Come on, let's walk," Regina said, leading Emma to the edge of the courtyard and through a side gate. It was a longer path, but it would eventually take them to the gardens.

*.*.*

"Are you sure you do not mind?" Emma asked a half hour later as they stood under the enchanted honeycrisp tree in Regina's orchard.

"Not at all. Like I said, this tree never stops producing fruit. I do not mind parting with some of the apples," Regina stated as she plucked one of the apples off the branch and handed it to Emma. Earlier they had found a basket one of the gardeners had left in the grass, and Regina had handed it to Emma to take some fruit back with her to the Northern Kingdom. "I still cannot believe you have never gone apple-picking."

Emma shrugged. "Well, we do not have any apple trees on our property, and it is not like my parents would let me venture miles away out to the farmlands to climb tree branches for apples."

"Well, you will have to come back sometime this autumn," Regina said as she yanked two more apples off the tree and dropped them in the basket. "Once the temperature drops in a few months, the other trees that are not enchanted will begin producing their apples, so you can have several varieties to try."

"I would love that. Thank you, Regina," Emma said as she looked for the perfect apple. Spotting a perfectly symmetrical one on the branch closest to Regina, she reached over and carefully grasped it, accidentally brushing against Regina's shoulder. She inspected the apple once it was firmly in her grip. "Perfect," she declared, lightly wiping it on the side of her dress before taking a bite. She let out an unintentional moan as she did so, relishing in the crisp texture and sweet taste.

Regina watched Emma carefully, unconsciously licking her lips. She quirked her eyebrow at the blonde. "Good?"

"Mmhmm," Emma nodded. "Want a bite?" She extended her hand out to Regina, who glanced down at the apple before picking it up, taking a bite just below where Emma had sampled it. Emma watched with darkening eyes as Regina delicately used her tongue to catch a drop of juice that escaped from the corner of her mouth.

"You are right… that was delicious. You picked well. That might be the best one on the tree," Regina said, quickly taking one more bite before handing it back to the other woman.

Emma smiled, trying to hide the fact that she was blushing as she took the apple back and quickly picked a few more to add to her basket. "I think this is plenty," she said, looking down at her bounty.

Regina nodded her head in agreement before motioning for them to follow the path back toward the castle. Emma picked up the basket and they walked in silence, both somewhat flustered from the oddly sensual moment they shared in the orchard. "So," Emma finally said, looking at the ground as they walked back. "Do you have anything planned between now and your visit to our kingdom for the next match in a few weeks?"

"No, not really," Regina stated. "I am sure my mother will require me to continue training every waking hour of the day, because I am sure she assumes that I will become complacent now that I have won the first game."

"I may not know you well, but you do not strike me as the kind of woman who would let one victory go to her head."

"Thank you! That is what I keep trying to tell my mother, but she never listens. I have never given her any reason to think that of me, yet she manages to find fault with everything I do, so I should expect nothing less from her."

"I'm sorry you have to deal with that."

"Thanks, but at this point, I am used to it," Regina shrugged. "What about you? Any plans for the next few weeks?"

"Not that I am aware of, beyond the preparations to welcome your family and your visitors into our kingdom. And training Killian, of course. I cannot let him lose again," she grinned, playfully bumping her shoulder into Regina's as they walked.

"No, of course you cannot," Regina laughed. "He is a very strong player, I must say. You have taught him well."

"Thank you, Regina."

"I would not mind playing you sometime when this whole tournament business is over. Just for fun, of course."

"I would like that. It could be fun."

Regina stopped as they stepped onto the patio just outside the palace doors that would lead directly to the east wing where Emma and her family were staying. "Do you remember how to get back to your guest quarters?" She asked as she looked toward the tall double doors.

"I do," Emma nodded. "Thank you, Regina, for showing me the gardens again and letting me have some of your beloved honeycrisps."

Regina smiled. "Of course. You are welcome to have some whenever you are here. Have a good night, Emma." She leaned in to give the blonde a small, lopsided hug, given that one of Emma's arms was still awkwardly holding the basket of apples. As Regina started to pull back, Emma leaned in and kissed her cheek, barely missing the corner of her lips. Regina felt her breath hitch for a moment before she quickly straightened her posture and broke the embrace. She smiled shyly at Emma before bowing her head slightly and walking down the path toward her wing of the palace. Emma's eyes followed her before she shook her head and opened the places doors, heading to her bedchamber to retire for the evening.

* * *

 **A/N:** This chapter ends part one of the story/probably somewhere between one third and halfway through the story. The next chapter will jump ahead to when Emma and Regina see each other again in Emma's kingdom, and they'll have to begin admitting to themselves (and soon each other) what they're starting to feel toward one another. (This was also the most chess-heavy chapter of the entire story - the next match won't be nearly as detailed).

This chapter took me a bit longer to post due to some insanity at work, but I should be back to my regular 7-10 day posting schedule moving forward.


	7. Chapter 7

The Northern Kingdom royal family and Killian departed the Western Kingdom palace shortly after sunrise the morning after the first chess match. King Henry watched his daughter with curiosity, as she had been uncharacteristically silent that morning. "Are you all right, Regina? You were awfully quiet at breakfast, and you barely said two words during our goodbyes…" He asked her as they walked back into the castle after seeing their visitors off.

"Yes, Daddy. I am fine."

He raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Are you sure? It seemed like you and Princess Emma were getting along well this week, but neither of you even acknowledged the other one existed this morning. Did you two have a quarrel?"

"I am still a little tired from the match yesterday, but otherwise I am fine. I promise. And Emma seems nice. I have nothing against her." She offered him a gentle smile, hoping it would reassure him that he did not need to worry about her. She saw her father politely nod as they walked down the main hallway of their castle. "If you will excuse me, I am going to go back to my room and try to get a little more sleep before starting the day."

"Of course, Regina. Get some rest."

She bid her father farewell and turned to walk toward her wing of the palace, letting out a small sigh as she made her way down the hall. She was still trying to work through the unsettling feelings she noticed the previous night, but was grateful that she would not see the blonde princess again until her family made the trip to the Western Kingdom for the next match nearly two weeks later. She hoped by then, she would have it figured out.

* * *

 _*12 Days Later*_

Regina sat in the carriage across from her parents, trying to listen to the gently clicking of the wheels and horses' hooves in hopes that it would help her relax. They had been travelling for hours and were finally nearing the Northern Kingdom.

"Honey, are you okay?" Henry asked his daughter. "You seem anxious."

She looked up from her hands, not realizing that she had been fidgeting the antique silver ring on her right index finger – an heirloom from her paternal grandmother – and met his concerned gaze. "Yes, Father. I am just nervous about the upcoming match."

"Oh, Regina, there is no need to be nervous. You already won the first match, so if you win this one, you win the tournament. But if you do not win this game, there will be another opportunity. Try to relax and enjoy it."

Cora scoffed. "Great advice, Henry," she muttered under her breath. "Regina needs to focus and win so we can be done with this whole charade. Do not tell her this match does not matter."

Regina gave her father a small sympathetic smile and looked out the window, watching the trees move past the carriage in a blur. She closed her eyes and rested her head against the back of the cart, taking a deep breath as she did so. Subconsciously, Regina was not sure if she wanted to win the next game, because part of her liked the idea of being able to spend more time with Emma if there was a third round. If she won the tournament in a few days, she was not sure if she would have the opportunity to see the blonde again, at least not until they were both on the throne. She knew her father wanted the two royal daughters to become friends in an effort to bring peace to the kingdoms, as he had mentioned it again several times since Emma and her family departed, but with her mother around that would never happen. The chess game was her only opportunity to see the other princess.

Regina thought back to the past weeks, which had been miserable. The last few days were particularly challenging, in part because she missed talking with Emma, but mostly because she and her mother had a large dispute that they still had not resolved. During that time, Cora had gone into overdrive with Regina's magical training. Regina was improving steadily, and she was proud of herself – even her mother seemed pleased with her progress. Things were going well until Regina hit a plateau a few days before leaving for the Northern Kingdom, unable to master some more advanced telekinetic work. Cora was trying to teach her how to move objects without using her hands to guide them, something that Cora stressed was an important skill. "When you live in our world, Regina, where magical beings are feared and often persecuted, you need to learn to be subtle. Sometimes you will need to move something but do not want to draw attention to yourself. You need to be able to move objects without any physical indications," her mother had said to her.

Regina had attempted to push a book off the desk, but failed. Upon hearing her mother sigh yet again in disappointment, Regina made a realization. "You did interfere in the match," Regina had said, looking at her mother with hurt reflected in her eyes as she took a break from trying to move the damn book. "You promised you wouldn't." She confronted her mother about the incident at the first match, accusing her of tampering with the clocks.

"Of course I did, Regina. It took you long enough to figure it out. If you were a bit more studios, perhaps you could have done it yourself and I would not have had to intervene," Cora had told her, finally confessing her involvement. Regina scoffed and had told her – yet again – that she did not need or want her mother fighting her battles for her. She wanted to win or lose on her own merit. Cora had snapped and used magic to hold Regina against the wall while she verbally accosted her, the magical restraints nearly suffocating her. When Regina was finally released, she had stormed out of Cora's study. She had not spoken to her mother since that day.

"Regina, we are here," her father's words brought her out of her memory of her argument with her mother. She smiled softly at her father and sat up straight as the carriage came to a stop and they waited for the palace gates to open. Within seconds, the carriage began moving again and Regina felt a tingling in her hands and feet. She adjusted her position on the carriage bench, thinking that she must have been sitting in one spot for too long.

Immediately after exiting their carriage inside the palace grounds, Regina and her parents were greeted by the Northern Kingdom royal family as they approach the front steps. Regina politely bowed as King David took her hand in acknowledgment of their arrival. "Welcome to our home. I hope you find your stay as enjoyable as we found your palace."

"Thank you, King David," Henry said as he shook the man's hand. "And thank you for hosting the second round of this tournament."

"It is our pleasure," Queen Snow said, stepping into the conversation.

Regina stood off to the side, briefly making eye contact with Emma before quickly looking away. Upon catching her mother's eye and knowing that her mother still wanted her to feign an interest in her opponent, Regina spoke up. "Where is Sir Killian?"

Snow appeared surprised by Regina's question, making Cora smirk at the desired effect. "He lives in the village just up the road, so there is no need for him to stay at the palace. He will not be present until the day of the match. I am sorry if that disappoints you, Princess Regina," Snow stated as she turned to lead the guests inside.

"Oh, I am not disappointed. Merely curious," Regina replied, glancing over at Emma quickly before steeling her gaze forward. "Oh, this is lovely," she commented as they walked into the grand foyer. Regina had not been to the castle since she was a preteen, so she had almost no recollection of its interior.

"Thank you, Regina," Snow said with a genuine smile. The palace was large, but more modest than the Western Kingdom's palace, and the inside was much more homey. Regina's castle, while ornate, was sparse. The furniture throughout most of the palace, save for Regina's wing, was meant to be appreciated as art, rather than designed for comfort and function. Contrarily, Regina felt an overwhelming desire to sit down and relax on the chaise they passed in the drawing room as they walked down the hall. But, she would resist that temptation, knowing it would not be becoming of a future queen.

"Emma and I would be happy to give you a tour after lunch," David suggested. "I know you have not been here in well over a decade. We want you to be comfortable during your stay."

"I would like that very much. Thank you, King David," Regina said.

"Would you mind if I joined as well? It certainly has not been that long since I was here last, but I always enjoy getting the official royal tour," Henry chimed in.

"Certainly. You are always welcome to join, Henry," David replied.

*.*.*

"Thank you for lunch. That was delicious. Please give my compliments to your cook staff," Henry said, dabbing the corner of his mouth with his napkin.

"We certainly will," Snow said as they rose from the table and walked back out into the hallway. "Cora, while our husbands and daughters take a tour, would you care to join me for some tea?"

"Thank you, Queen Snow," Cora said with a saccharine smile, "but I think I will retire to the guest quarters for a bit. It has been a long journey."

"Of course. Do you remember where it is?"

"I do, thank you."

Regina watched her mother depart and head down the long hallway toward the south end of the palace. She felt a wave of unease come over here, suspecting that her mother would be doing anything but resting this afternoon. She mentally scolded herself for giving her mother the silent treatment over the past few days, because now she had no idea what she was planning. However, Regina's attention was quickly brought back to her father, David, and Emma, who were waiting to start the tour. "Are you ready, Regina?" Her father asked her.

"Yes, thank you." She and her father followed David and Emma as they walked them through the palace, pointing out the various parlors and drawing rooms where they were welcome to lounge during their stay.

"Of course, we do not expect that you will want to practice out here, so we have set up a chess set in the privacy of the guest quarters," the Northern Kingdom king said.

"Thank you, King David. I appreciate it," Regina responded.

They continued their tour and stopped briefly to look at a painting across from double doors that led to the gardens. "This was painted by a young man in the village," David explained. "Snow fell in love with it one day when we were visiting the artisans' market and had to have it."

Regina studied the painting, which featured a vast forest and was surprisingly life-like. "It is very beautiful. Queen Snow has great taste," she said.

Henry nodded his head in agreement before jumping in. "King David, would you mind if Emma took over the tour from here? I have something I would like to discuss with you, while our wives are otherwise occupied."

David looked over at his daughter who raised no objections. "That sounds quite all right to me. Let us go to my study. I will see you two later." He and Henry bid their daughters goodbye and walked back down the hall toward David's den.

"Shall we?" Emma asked, meeting Regina's eyes and smiling.

"Of course. After you," Regina said, gesturing for Emma to continue the tour.

Emma opened the dark mahogany doors and led Regina outside to the gardens. They walked in silence down the path that weaved along the hedges, not knowing what to say. This was the first time they had been alone together since their awkward encounter the night of the first chess game.

"Well, this feels familiar. I have a sense of déja-vu," Regina finally said to break the tension, as she remembered the night she showed Emma around her family's garden the first night of their visit. "And you're right…it really does look like a giant rainbow of flowers out here. But, it is lovely."

Emma laughed. "Yes, my mother loves her flowers. They're a little haphazard, but they make her happy." Emma walked over to a long wooden swing in the middle of a gazebo in a secluded part of the garden and sat down on one side. Regina wordlessly followed and sat on the other.

"This is a nice little getaway," Regina commented.

"It is. I love it. I may not have the horses to use as my escape from reality like you do, but I have this spot where I know no one, not even my parents, will bother me unless it is an emergency."

"Well, thank you for sharing it with me."

"So, how have you been over the past two weeks?" Emma asked tentatively.

Regina hesitated and decided not to go into too much detail, but she did admit that it was relatively miserable. "…my mother and I had a pretty bad argument the other day and have not spoken to each other since."

"What did you fight about?"

Regina remained silent and looked down at the ground. She couldn't tell Emma that she had been learning magic, since no one was supposed to know, and she certainly couldn't reveal the magical influence in the chess match that led to her victory and caused the argument with her mother.

When Regina did not respond, Emma ventured a guess. "Does it have something to do with the mysteriously broken clock?"

Regina looked up in surprise, but quickly schooled her features. "Why would I be talking about that?"

Emma chuckled. "It's okay, Regina. I won't say anything to anyone. The fact that your mother bent the rules is not your fault."

Regina looked into her eyes and could tell that Emma was being sincere. But, Regina was still worried and felt the need to protect her mother. "What makes you think she had something to do with it?"

Emma smiled. "I don't know what it was, but I just got this feeling, like a sixth sense or something. When I picked up the clock to hand it to Rumple so he could replace it with the new one, I felt something."

Regina was perplexed at what Emma said, but just nodded.

Emma continued: "Besides, that will not be an issue in this upcoming match."

"What do you mean?"

"My parents have secured more squid ink, thanks to a favor owed to them by a mariner from another land. Not only is it keeping Rumple bound in his cell, but they have used it to cast a protection barrier of sorts around the castle walls. It is only temporary, but will last through the match. It blocks any wielders of dark magic from using magic within the castle grounds. So, Queen Cora will not be able to do anything."

Regina sighed in understanding and relief. That explained the feeling she had when she entered the castle gates and felt a faint tingling of electricity. She thought she might have imagined it, or that her extremities had fallen asleep from the long journey, but it must have been the spell jamming the magic in her veins. "Good. I told her I wanted to do this on my own, but she never listens to me. I want my own skill to speak for itself."

"You are a great player, Regina. Cora does not need to interfere for you to do well."

"I know that. I just wish she did. But she is my mother, and nothing I do will ever be good enough for her."

Emma stood to start the walk back toward the castle, and Regina immediately followed her lead. "So, how have the past few weeks been for you?" Regina asked.

"I cannot complain. Although, my mother is still pushing me to get together with Killian, even more so than usual. I think she is worried that you are after him and thinks I need to be more forward. She is relentless."

"And you are still not interested?" Regina asked, looking over at Emma as she did.

Emma laughed. "I think you know the answer to that by now." Regina blushed at her response, and Emma noticed. She smiled before she continued: "I apologize for my behavior that night. I can tell that it made you uneasy."

Regina stopped walking, her hand grasping Emma's to prevent her from continuing her stroll down the path. "You do not need to apologize, Emma. It is quite all right. If anything, I should be apologizing to you."

"What? What for?"

"For not saying goodbye to you properly before you left. It was terribly rude of me."

"It's fine, Regina. I was not offended."

"Well, still. It was not very becoming of me."

"That sounds like your mother talking, but thank you." Emma smiled. "So, why didn't you say anything to me before I left?"

Regina took a deep breath. "I think I was a little startled by what happened, and I did not react very well…Honestly, I was nervous to see you that morning, so I did not handle it the way I should have."

"I am sorry if I made you uncomfortable-" Emma started.

"You didn't," Regina interjected. "Truthfully, I did not mind. I think that is why I was worried. I did not know what to think. I still do not, to be honest."

Emma smiled and looked at Regina sincerely, still not clear on what Regina was telling her. "What do you mean?"

Regina looked down at their hands, which were still connected. "I know it is not uncommon for women in our kingdoms to greet and leave one another in such a way, but it felt different with you. Normally it is just a routine action, but with you…" Regina tapered off and looked away, embarrassed.

Emma squeezed her hand and took a step closer to her. "Regina, look at me." Regina acquiesced, and Emma noticed her pink-tinged cheeks. "I felt that way, too."

Regina eyes widened in surprise. "Really?"

Emma nodded. "Mmhmm. I did not know what to make of it at the time, either, and I do not fully understand it now. All I know is that I was really happy to see you again today, and I am glad you will be here for the next few days."

Regina smiled and looked thoughtfully at Emma. She decided to take the chance and leaned in, softly grazing Emma's lips with her own, tentative and curious, and lasting just for a brief moment before pulling back and smiling. Her euphoria was interrupted when Regina suddenly felt the familiar jolt of electricity, a small twinge of magic, running from her chest to the hand Emma was still holding. Emma pulled her hand away from Regina's, causing Regina to panic and triggering a flashback to when she accidentally hurt Daniel after they were caught kissing in his garden. Regina abruptly turned and walked quickly back toward the entrance to the castle.

Emma was stunned speechless for a moment, but ran to catch up to Regina, grabbing her by the elbow to spin her around. "Regina, wait." She saw a stray tear run down Regina's cheek, which Emma softly wiped away with the pad of her thumb. "Why are you running away? What's the matter?"

Regina shook her head. "Did…did I hurt you?"

"What? No. Why would you think that?"

"Then why did you drop my hand like I burned you?"

Emma was not sure how to respond, not knowing how to describe what she felt. Instead, she tried to dodge the question, intrigued by Regina's choice of words. "Why would you think you burned me?"

Regina stuttered. "Uh, no reason. Nevermind."

"No, Regina, talk to me."

"I can't."

"Regina, you can trust me."

"I know. But really, it's nothing. Don't worry about it." Regina turned around again to walk up the stairs to the patio that would lead to the castle door.

Emma hesitated before speaking up. "A spark."

Regina stopped and turned around, walking back down the steps toward Emma. "What?"

Emma repeated her words. "A spark. I felt a spark and that is why I let go."

"So, I did burn you," Regina said quietly.

"No, it was not a burn, and I do not think it was you. I mean I know it was not you. It was me. I thought I burned you."

"What?"

"I cannot really explain it, but I would like to try. Just not right now. We should be getting back. Supper will be ready at any moment. Can we talk later? Maybe after we eat?"

Regina nodded as Emma led her back inside, keeping a healthy distance between the two of them.

*.*.*

Henry walked into the guest chambers where they were staying and saw Cora standing at the window, looking out over the village in the distance as she repeatedly opened and closed her fists. "Are you ready for supper? A handmaid just told me it is nearly ready."

Cora turned around, fire in her eyes, but she quickly reset her expression and hoped Henry did not notice. "Of course, dear. I am quite famished after our journey. Let us go find our darling daughter and see what feast the royal family has prepared."

* * *

 **A/N:** I imagine you can probably tell what's happening/about to happen (and even if you do, it may not turn out the way you expect), but I won't spoil it in case it isn't obvious. Basically though, shit's about to go down. :) Unrelated: I'm super excited to hear that The L Word is getting a reboot/sequel situation, and I think we should all start a petition to get LP and JMo on it.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** I'm so sorry for the crazy delay. My dance company had our show recently so rehearsals and tech week and the performances monopolized my time more than I expected. I hope to get back to a more frequent update schedule from here on in. This story probably has 3-4 chapters left. Thanks for reading! (Also, some folks have asked - there will be a sequel to _A Serendipitous Encounter_ soon as I previously promised (I want to make sure it's good before I post it lol), and a few more stories in the works.)

* * *

"Actually, Henry dear," Cora said as she walked alongside her husband toward the royal dining hall. "I just remembered something that I must take care of before supper. Please let Their Majesties know that I am sorry, but I will be a few minutes late. I shall not be long." Before Henry could respond, Cora hurried back toward their suite.

After ensuring Henry was not following her, Cora made a detour toward the entrance to the dungeon where Rumple was being held. She knew it would be futile to try to teleport herself down to the dungeon, as she had felt the magic spell blocking all dark magic surround her upon entering the castle grounds earlier that day. Nevertheless, she took the risk to approach on foot, because she needed to see the Dark One immediately.

As Cora maneuvered around a corner underground, she sighed in relief to only see one guard in place. She shook her head at the idiocy of the monarchs – yes, the dungeon was enchanted with squid ink and Rumple was not going to go anywhere, but leaving only one knight standing guard of the realm's most powerful being was still a stupid decision. He may not be able to get himself out, but there were many people who may try to get in if they knew he was so poorly guarded. Cora easily snuck past the guard, escaping detection and hitting him over the head from behind with a large rock she found on the ground. It was not enough to kill him, but it would leave him unconscious for awhile, long enough for her to get what she came for. Hopefully when he awoke, he would think he just fainted.

"Well, that seemed a bit uncalled for," Rumple giggled as she approached his cell. He was sitting on the bench against the stone wall, lolling his head against it.

Cora rolled her eyes. "I needed to see you."

"Did you miss me already? It's a shame you missed your opportunity all those years ago…"

She ignored his comment and got to her point. "We have a problem."

"What, dearie?"

"It's the princess."

"Regina?"

"No, you imbecile. Emma. Her magic is no longer dormant."

Rumple's face fell. "Oh, dear."

"Yes. What are we going to do about it?"

"I thought you said her magic was not ready to surface yet? What happened?"

"Something accelerated the process."

"And what would that be?"

Cora hesitated before answering. "Regina."

Rumple pushed himself off the bench and stepped closer to the bars of his cell, intrigue written across his face. "Come again?"

Cora gritted her teeth. "Apparently, Regina and Emma have…let's say 'bonded', and that event has ignited Emma's magic."

Rumple held up a hand to stop her. "Say no more, dearie." He paused before erupting into a fit of giggles. "Oh, this must be hell for you."

Cora moved closer to him, wrapping her hand around one of the iron bars and grabbing the front of his shirt with her fist. "Do not start with me, imp." She quickly let go and pushed him back away from her.

"What do you expect me to do about this, Your Majesty?"

"I need you to help me put an end to this."

"And how would you plan to do such a thing?"

"I have not decided yet. The most obvious and permanent solution is certainly the quickest and easiest choice, but even I do not know if the consequences would be worth it in the long term…at least if it is traced back to me. As much as I would enjoy ridding the world of the blonde heir, I am willing to entertain other options, at least for right now until the situation becomes critically urgent. Fortunately, with this tournament underway, she will be distracted, so that buys us some time."

Rumple looked pensive. "Tell me, Your Majesty, did Emma recognize the awakening of her magic?"

Cora shook her head. "I do not know, at least not yet. Based on the reaction I witnessed, she knew something happened, but I do not think she recognized it as magic. I mean, how could she? She has no frame of reference. No one in her family is magical, so she would not know what it was. I will keep an eye on her at dinner tonight and see what I can surmise from the situation."

"What about Regina?"

"What about Regina?" Cora echoed back, genuinely perplexed by his question.

"Did Regina sense the change in Emma after the incident?"

Cora shook her head. "I am not sure. It is possible, but I doubt it. Her ability to sense magic is still weak, plus there is some sort of barrier spell that prevents my magic from working here, which means Regina's is blocked as well."

"Ah yes," Rumple nodded. "Snow procured some additional squid ink and is using it as a way to stop any dark magic from occurring on castle grounds."

Cora nodded, but said nothing. She figured it was something like that. "Well in that case, I doubt Regina knows what is happening, though she did appear stunned after the event. Perhaps she was just responding to Emma's startled reaction, or the nature of the incident itself."

"Then, you might want to keep your precious daughter away from Emma, while you are at it," Rumple advised as Cora started pacing in front of his cell. "If Regina did indeed trigger Emma's magic by this so-called 'event', as you stated," he said, making air quotes with his glittery hands, "it is very possible that spending more time together could cause Emma's magic to develop more rapidly. We do not want that, because that will make her a more challenging foe. We want her docile. Not to mention she is green and does not know what she is doing, so she could hurt or possibly mortally wound Regina by accident."

"I will not let that happen."

"See to it that you do not. Fix this quickly, Cora. This could be catastrophic, if Emma's potential is as great as you have speculated."

* * *

Emma and Regina walked to dinner in silence and traded pleasantries during the meal, but shared no real conversation. Emma was trying to figure out how to get Regina alone someplace private so they could have their discussion about the earlier events in the garden. Ultimately, upon finishing their dinner, Emma spoke up. "Regina, would you care to join me for some tea after dinner? And while playing chess would certainly be unwise, perhaps a game of checkers?" Emma figured that since her mother entertained guests privately over tea, she could do the same without causing suspicion from her parents. Regina agreed and bid her parents farewell, not noticing her mother's narrowing eyes as she walked away to follow Emma down the hall to her game room.

"Please, take a seat," Emma said, gesturing to an empty chair across from the checkered board that was engrained into the marble table. Emma grabbed a basket off the shelf behind her and brought the checkers over to the table before she sat opposite Regina. "Red or black?"

"Red."

They started playing and were mostly quiet. What little conversation they had was mundane and about the game itself. It took ten minutes before Regina finally brought up the issue that had been plaguing her mind since that afternoon. "Did you really just bring me up here to play checkers? I thought we were going to talk about what happened in the garden, Emma."

"We were, but I do not know where to start."

"Well I would say the beginning, but I hate being cliché."

Emma rolled her eyes. "Okay…" she said, before taking a breath. "You might think I sound crazy, but I felt this…spark. A literal spark." She looked up at Regina, who said nothing but nodded her head, silently urging Emma to continue. "It felt like this jolt of electricity ran from my chest to my hand, which is why I let go. It did not feel like some emotional or carnal physiological response – I have kissed other people before and felt those kinds of effects, but I have never felt this. This was almost painful…a literal shock. I was afraid I would hurt you…but then you asked if you hurt me, or burned me, and so now I am confused."

At Emma's description, Regina knew. She had already suspected what it was, but Emma had just confirmed it. That electric jolt, that spark, was the same thing Regina felt and had been learning to harness for the past year – it was magic. Regina chose her words carefully, looking at Emma who was anxiously awaiting some sort of response. "I felt the same thing, and I thought you let go because I hurt you," Regina explained as she moved another one of her red checkers pieces on the board, jumping over one of Emma's and removing it from play. Emma looked up expectantly at Regina, waiting for her to provide more of an explanation, as Regina had already made a similar statement earlier in the garden after their kiss. "It would not be the first time," Regina quietly added.

That caught Emma's attention. "What do you mean?"

Regina took a moment to weigh her options. She felt the need to be honest with Emma and explain her theory as to what Emma felt, but she also knew doing so would be a risk to herself and the Western Kingdom's future. Her mother had explicitly instructed her never to tell anyone of her magical inclinations, and thus far she had obeyed. But, she also felt empathy for the blonde royal daughter – Regina knew what chaos uncontrolled magic could cause, and it was clear Emma had no idea that she possessed it. If Emma continued to be unaware of what was happening to her, Regina knew she could quite literally drive herself to insanity, thinking that it was all in her head, or she could accidentally do some serious physical damage to those around her. Despite the constant feud between their families, Regina cared about Emma too much to let her live in the dark. With that weighing on her conscience, she resolved to tell Emma the truth. She took a deep breath before she spoke: "Magic."

Emma's eyes went wide in surprise as she gasped. "What?"

Regina let out a sigh. There was no going back. "What you felt, Emma, is magic. You must have it within you."

"But, how? That is not possible. No one in my family possesses magic."

Regina shrugged. "I am only learning about it myself, Emma. I do not know exactly how it exists in some individuals and not others. I know it can be passed down through families, but I have heard that there are other ways, though there has been little evidence to prove it since it is exceedingly rare."

Emma looked stunned. "I do not get it. I was always told that magic cannot be created from nothing. That is why non-magical beings who try to learn it are unsuccessful and are at best nothing more than entertainers."

"Yes, but you are living proof that there must be another way. Unless someone in your family is magical and has not told you…"

"No," Emma shook her head. "There is no way either of my parents have magic. They would have told me."

Regina bit her lip as she considered Emma's words. "I suppose you are right. My mother would know if your parents did, and there is no way our families' feud would have been unfolding the way it has if both sides had leaders with magic. Which means…"

"Which means what?" Emma quickly interrupted, her impatience getting the best of her.

"Which means, you are special, Emma. You are one of the few that I have read about who do not require a magical lineage."

"How is that feasible, though?"

"I have read in an ancient text that non-hereditary magic can only be created through true love. Your parents are always spouting on about how they are each other's true loves. I always thought they were just being hyperbolic, but in their case it must be true."

Emma nodded, pondering what Regina had said. "Wait a second," Emma interrupted her own thoughts, moving the focus away from herself. "How do you know all this? Why are you learning about magic? Do you have it?"

Regina closed her eyes and subtly nodded. "My mother made me promise to keep it a secret. You cannot tell anyone."

"I promise, your secret is safe with me. Truthfully, I am not surprised. I can understand why she would want you to keep it hidden, given the way people fear it. I am also not surprised you have it. My mother has said there have been rumors about you for years, and Cora is a powerful sorceress. It makes sense that she passed it on to you."

"She is teaching me how to use it. But unlike her, I have no intention of using it for ill-will. I just need to be able to control it so I do not accidentally hurt anyone."

Emma nodded, putting the pieces together. "Is that why you thought you burned me?"

"Yes. It has happened before. While seasoned practitioners can use magic without breaking a sweat, magic at its root is tied to our emotions, especially in novice users," Regina explained. She then told Emma the story about what happened when she met Daniel several years prior, including accidentally burning is hand and igniting a fire in his garden. She left out the details about how her mother ultimately resolved the incident – with a double homicide and erasing the memories of the boys from their family's minds.

"Can you teach me how to control it?"

Regina shook her head. "I am afraid not. I barely know anything myself. The best advice I can offer you is to keep your emotions in check to prevent any unwanted occurrences. However, I am sure there is someone around here who can help you learn it, or at least some books you can read."

"I doubt it. My parents are terrified of magic. I cannot tell them. And neither can you."

"Emma, I would never tell anyone. But, I do think you should tell them. After all, it seems that it is their love that caused you to have this ability in the first place. And, from what I have read about the so-called magic of 'true love', what you have is light magic. It is not dark magic like what my mother and I use. It can be harnessed for good, to ward off evil. But, it is still magic, and I imagine it is unpredictable, given your experience this afternoon. If you do not learn how to control it, there is a chance you might end up hurting someone…or yourself. I would hate to see that happen."

Emma smiled, the game of checkers long forgotten. "Why did I not know about this already? When did you find out you had magic?"

Regina shrugged. "It's only been a few years. I was around 20, I think. The incident with the suitor happened when I was 21. Thinking back, I suppose there were signs maybe earlier in my late adolescence, but any extraordinary occurrences I assumed were a side effect of my mother's magic. Occasionally a book would fall off a shelf when I was upset, but I just thought my mother had done a particularly powerful spell and it was an aftershock. Maybe it really was me."

Emma stood up and walked over to the large stained glass window overlooking the front entrance to the castle. Despite the colorful tint and thick glass that distorted the view, she still liked to observe the outside. It offered her a different perspective. "Why now?"

"Why now, what?" Regina asked, pushing back her chair and turning to look at Emma, who still had her back to her.

"Why did my magic suddenly make itself known today?"

Regina stood up and walked over to Emma, joining her by the window. "I cannot say for certain," she started, considering her next move. She gently placed her hand on one of Emma's forearms, which were folded in front of her chest. She chose her words carefully, not wanting to scare the other woman, considering all the revelations of the past half hour. "But, like I said, magic is intricately tied to emotion. I imagine between the stress of the tournament and everything else, it was finally triggered."

"And by 'everything else', you mean…"

"I think you know exactly what I meant," Regina smirked.

Emma laughed for the first time since they had entered the room, happy to have a break in the seriousness of the conversation. "Yeah, I think I do." She unfolded her arms and tentatively took Regina's hand in her own, glancing down at their joined hands and taking a steadying breath. "Is this okay?"

Regina nodded and gently squeezed Emma's hand before threading their fingers together. "Of course."

"You will tell me if I hurt you?"

"I will. But don't worry Emma, you won't."

"How can you be so sure?"

Regina shrugged. "You didn't earlier today. And I imagine if you were going to, that would have done it. At least you know what it is now, which is the first step to controlling it."

Emma looked pensive. "But you said you felt the spark, too."

"I did," Regina confirmed. "But that was not your doing. That originated within me. That is why I had thought I hurt you."

Emma said nothing, but nodded in understanding.

"Emma," Regina continued, her voice taking on a serious tone. "You cannot let my mother know that you possess magic. She can never know."

"Why?"

"Because I am terrified of what she might do. She is fiercely protective of me and our kingdom. She would see you as an even bigger threat than she already does, and she would stop at nothing to guarantee that you would not harm us. That is why I think it is important that you tell your parents the truth…they need to be able to protect you, get you training so you can protect yourself in case she does find out and tries to do something."

Emma looked at the brunette, who looked genuinely frightened. A tear fell down Regina's cheek and Emma quickly brushed it away. "I am not afraid of your mother, Regina."

Regina let out a sardonic chuckle. "You should be. You should also keep this from the Dark One, too. He is even worse than my mother, and I can guarantee your light magic is a threat to everything he is. I would hate to think what the two of them would do if they knew about you." Another tear escaped from Regina's eye, which she wiped away herself before Emma had the chance to see it.

"Can I hug you?" Emma asked, tentatively. When the Western Kingdom princess nodded, Emma pulled her into an embrace. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For being honest with me. I would have driven myself crazy trying to figure out what was wrong with me."

"There is nothing wrong with you, Emma."

"I know that now. But I would not have known that if it weren't for you." They stood in their embrace for several moments, both feeling a light buzzing sensation just under their skin. It was barely noticeable and not at all startling like their previous encounter. This was pleasant. "So," Emma said, breaking them out of their trance as she walked back to her seat at the checkers board. Regina sighed at the loss of contact and the light euphoric tingle it created. "Can I get a demonstration of some of the magic you have been practicing? Maybe it will give me something to strive for – some cool parlor tricks to add to my list."

Regina laughed as she walked to stand in front of Emma and opened her palm, trying to conjure a small ball of fire. Nothing happened. It was then she remembered. "I am afraid not. The protection spell your parents put in place is preventing me from using magic while I am here. So, I am quite useless in that regard right now. If there is a third match and it is held in my kingdom, perhaps I can show you then."

Emma smiled, but quickly furrowed her brows.

"What's wrong?" Regina asked, suddenly concerned at the woman's change in demeanor.

"You cannot do magic here."

"Right…"

"So I did hurt you earlier in the garden."

"No, Emma, I told you. That came from within me. I have felt that before. I know what my own magic feels like."

"How is that possible, then? No one can use dark magic here with the protection spell that is in place."

"Oh…" Regina looked at her empty hand that was still face up from her attempted demonstration, and then back up at Emma in genuine confusion. "I…I have no idea. Maybe I just can't do magic, but it is still there below the surface?"

"There shouldn't be. That squid ink is a powerful barrier. No dark magic should exist within the grounds." Emma stood up from her chair and walked a few steps closer to Regina. "You said magic is tied to emotion, right?" She watched as the brunette confirmed that notion with a nod, but did not speak. "Try it again," Emma said, glancing down at Regina's open palm. "I want to try something."

Regina narrowed her eyes in question, but acquiesced. She closed her eyes and concentrated on creating a small flame in her hand. As expected, nothing happened. She softly sighed until she heard Emma say "Keep trying." Regina inhaled as she sensed the blonde stepping closer to her, the faint scent of her perfume giving her away. Suddenly she felt soft lips against her own and an arm wrapping around her waist. There was no jolt of electricity this time, but almost immediately she felt a warmth in her hand.

"Whoa!" Emma said, pulling back from the kiss, but keeping her torso in place against Regina's, her arm still snug around the brunette's back.

"Holy shit!" Regina exclaimed in a hushed whisper, stunned as she looked at the ball of fire hovering above her extended palm. It was larger than any she had previously created, but it was expertly controlled. She instinctively wrapped her other arm around Emma in an act of protection as she focused on extinguishing the flame, closing her palm to do so.

"I guess it worked," Emma said as she smiled, looking at the confused brunette.

"What?... How?..."

"You said magic is tied to emotion. I figured if you kissing me earlier awakened mine and seemed to trigger something in you, maybe it would work again." Emma brushed a stray piece of hair out of Regina's face, placing it behind her ear.

"But, it is not supposed to work here. How is this possible?"

Emma shrugged as she leaned in toward Regina. "I have no idea. But, I would not be opposed to continuing testing out theories until we figure it out."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:** Minor TW for some physical altercations, but nothing worse than what is seen on the show.

Also, ICYMI, I posted the first chapter to the _A Serendipitous Encounter_ sequel, for any readers of that fic.

* * *

Regina carefully sat down next to Emma on the stone steps surrounding the training grounds. "Do you do this often?" She asked, moving the slight train to her skirt out of the way.

"Mhmm," Emma nodded as she stared at the action before her. "You do not?" She asked, glancing at the woman seated beside her.

"No," Regina shook her head. "My mother deemed it unnecessary and not a good use of my time."

Emma hummed as she thought it over. "I suppose she assumed your future husband would be the one to worry about such matters."

"Indeed," Regina chuckled as she observed what was happening in the center ring, instantly captivated. "Wow," she breathed out a few moments later. "They are so…graceful."

Emma smiled. "Yeah…it is almost meditative to watch them train. It helps clear my mind. It's why I like to start each morning out here, if I can."

Regina sighed as she relaxed, resting her elbows on the step behind her as she leaned back against it. The morning sun was shining brightly overhead, causing Regina to wish she had been allowed to wear something lighter. However, her mother quickly dismissed that notion and forced her to only pack her more formal attire. "You must always look the part of the future queen, Regina," her mother had told her before they left their home in the Western Kingdom. "We are marching into enemy territory. You cannot look like some peasant," she said in disgust as she tossed one of Regina's fine linen dresses carelessly to the side, picking up a red crushed velvet dress instead. Regina had scoffed and asked her mother if the future queen should be seen sweating profusely, because that would undoubtedly happen if she wore heavy velvet in the midsummer's heat. Her mother sighed and they compromised on a long dress, but one that was still made of thick cotton and had elaborate beadwork. Regina was still worried about the heat, but did not want to start yet another argument with her mother. She had thrown the dress in her trunk to take with her on the journey, rolling her eyes. She was 23 years old – she should be able to dress herself.

"I'm glad your father suggested this," Regina said, snapping back to the present moment. At breakfast that morning, King David had suggested Regina accompany Emma as she supervised the morning knights' training session. It was a bit rare for a princess to oversee a kingdom's military training, but Emma had taken an interest in it from a young age, so her parents had obliged. Of course, Cora had disapproved of Regina attending the training with Emma, but she could not speak out against the king's suggestion in his own kingdom. She had to choose her battles carefully, and she had larger concerns facing her. And, her own dimwitted husband had enthusiastically agreed that it was a good idea before she had a chance to object. Regina could see her mother's disapproval written across her face, and she took great pleasure in defying her. "They make it look so easy."

"They do. That is why they are some of the best in the land. You better not be getting any ideas to steal any of the techniques you witness here for your own men," Emma winked.

"I could not, even if I wanted to. I don't really know what I'm looking at," Regina laughed.

Emma let out a chuckle of her own as she yelled something Regina did not understand to one of the knights in charge of the exhibition. He bowed his head in understanding and returned to his men, leaving Emma to resume her conversation with Regina. She decided a change of topic was in order. Almost immediately after their kiss in the game room the evening before, and Regina's subsequent display of magic, Emma had been called out to attend to an important matter with her parents. She had not had another chance to talk to the brunette privately since that moment. "How are you?"

Regina raised an eyebrow. "That feels like a loaded question."

"I just meant that we haven't had a chance to talk since last night. I was curious if you had come up with any more theories about what happened that allowed you to do what you did," Emma said quietly, making sure that they would not be overheard.

She shook her head. "No, not really. Maybe you are like a conductor of some sort for my magic," Regina hypothesized. "For some reason, when I am touching you my magic can come out, despite the squid ink protection barrier. Or maybe it is your magic being transferred to me and I am some sort of conduit?"

Emma shrugged. "That makes as much sense as anything, I suppose."

Regina tried to hide a smirk that was threatening to creep up on her lips. "I believe last night you mentioned that you would be open to testing out some theories…more trial and error to see if we can make it manifest itself again."

Emma looked over at her, curiosity piqued. "I did."

Regina said nothing, but stared at the blonde as she suddenly bit her bottom lip. A few seconds later she burst into a hearty laugh. "I'm sorry. I'm so bad at this."

Emma could not help but laugh as well. "I thought it was cute," she said, nudging her shoulder. "But yes, I am certainly happy to help—"

"Regina!"

The brunette sat up straight at the sound of her name being called from the bottom of the stone steps, while Emma quickly pushed herself away, putting some distance between her and the other princess. "Mother? What are you doing out here?"

"I need to speak to you…privately," Cora said, narrowing her eyes at Emma.

Regina silently thanked an unnamed deity for the squid ink – if her mother had access to magic at that moment, there was no doubt in Regina's mind that Emma would be engulfed in flames. "Of course, Mother," she said as she stood up and started down the steps. She quickly looked over her shoulder and mouthed "I'm sorry" to Emma, who tried to smile in return.

 ***.*.***

Cora purposefully strode down the corridor toward the suite where their family was staying, and Regina trailed hesitantly behind her. The walk felt like it was several miles long, and with each passing minute her apprehension grew, especially since her mother had not said anything since they left the training arena. She had no idea what her mother wanted, and part of her worried that Cora had figured out Emma's secret. If that were the case, Regina feared the worst. Cora would undoubtedly see Emma as a danger, and Regina knew what happened to people her mother perceived as a threat. She shuddered at that thought.

She tried to break the tension, hoping she could calm her fears. "Mother, what is this about?"

"Not here, Regina," was all she said as she continued walking down the winding hallways of the castle.

A few moments later they arrived at the large door to their suite. Cora walked in and headed straight to the room where Regina had been sleeping, standing with her hands clasped in front of her waist as she waited for Regina to enter.

Regina eyed her mother cautiously as she crossed the threshold. "Where's Father?" she asked, hoping that if he was in the suite then perhaps she would not have to be as worried for what was to come. At least there would be a witness.

"He is off attending to business with David and Snow."

"Oh." Regina's face fell and she took a deep breath, preparing for the worst. "What is it that you needed me for?"

"I think you know."

Regina feigned confusion. "I am not sure that I do."

"Is that so?"

"I really do not, Mother. You will need to be a bit more specific."

"Care to explain to me what you were doing with Emma during your 'tour' yesterday afternoon?"

Regina's face paled. She expected her mother to have said she overheard their conversation about Emma's magic, or that she knew she had told Emma about her own ability. She did not expect to be confronted with what happened in the garden. She took a risk and decided to play dumb. "What do you mean?"

"Enough!" Cora shouted, crossing the distance between her and her daughter in just two steps. She shoved Regina against the wall, wrapping her right hand around Regina's throat to hold her in position. "I saw you and Emma together."

Regina felt tears forming in her eyes, not due to sadness or anger, but because of the physical pressure her mother was exerting on her throat. She could barely breathe. "Mother," she managed to squeak out in a hoarse whisper. "Please."

Cora did not loosen her grip, and instead moved closer to her daughter, using her other hand to grab Regina's arm as she squeezed it in warning. "Do not beg, Regina. It does not suit you."

Regina closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on her breath. She knew this was a standoff, as this was not the first time, and she was in the losing position. But, she did not want to give in that easily and give her mother the satisfaction.

"I will ask you again, Regina. What were you thinking? Why would you behave in such a vile manner? You are a future queen, Regina. Did you not learn what happens when you make bad decisions from your incident with Daniel? You saw how that ended."

Regina felt her mother's grip on her neck weaken just a bit, which she understood was her mother's way of demanding that she provide an answer. "It was nothing, Mother."

"Wrong answer," Cora said, tightening her fingers around Regina's throat once again, suffocating her even more than before. She released the hand she had on her arm, only to strike it across Regina's face. She saw the fear emerge in Regina's eyes and smirked before releasing her hold slightly. "Care to try again?"

"My magic is not out of control, Mother. I cannot even use it here. What happened with Daniel would never happen again," Regina said, hoping that her mother's main objection was that Regina's magic might malfunction and make her abilities obvious to those in the kingdom, rather than the fact that she had kissed Emma.

"Yes, I know. The squid ink barrier. I do not care about that right now. I want to know why you kissed her."

"I don't know, Mother… It just happened," Regina said, still straining against the choke hold.

"It just happened?" Cora repeated, mocking her daughter before grabbing her chin and forcing Regina to look directly into her eyes. "I will say this once, and one time only. You are not to be alone with Emma. You are not to talk to her outside of exchanging pleasantries over meals, and that is only to appease those stupid parents of hers. Do you understand me?"

Regina hesitantly nodded and Cora released her. Regina instinctively hunched forward, resting her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath. Several loud coughs echoed through her lungs. When her breathing had regulated, she stood up straight and looked over at her mother. She knew she should walk out of the room while she still could, but she had to know. "Why?"

Cora turned around sharply and stared at Regina. "Excuse me?"

Regina felt her own confidence grow. "Why can I not speak to her? I am old enough to make my own decisions, and as you and Father have mentioned multiple times, eventually she and I will be on the thrones of our own kingdoms. We could try to put our families' feuds behind us for the good of the kingdoms."

"I am only doing what is best for you, Regina," Cora said, taking a step closer to her daughter.

"But, why?"

"Do not question me, Regina."

"I deserve answers. Is it because she is a woman?"

Cora scoffed. "Sex can be a useful tool to obtain power, Regina. At least being with a woman would not ruin you and a worthy nobleman might still be interested in you."

Regina's eyes grew wide at her mother's statement. She had not expected that response.

"Emma and her family are dangerous – not only to our kingdom, but to our family…especially to you and me. That is all I am going to say on the matter and it would be in your best interest to heed my warning," Cora said, encroaching on Regina before pinning her to the wall once again. "If you do not, then there will be consequences."

Regina felt the constricting grip on her throat once again, worse than the last time. She silently cursed herself for provoking her mother further. She should have let it go and left the room before it escalated again. She quickly shook away that thought – she would not blame herself.

"And the consequences are not just for you, Regina," Cora continued, her piercing stare going right through Regina. "But for that little blonde princess, too. I do not think you would want to see what I am truly capable of. It would make what happened to Daniel and his sorry excuse for a brother look like child's play." Cora placed her other arm across Regina sternum, holding her in place.

Regina saw the fire in her mother's eyes, causing her stomach to drop and had the sudden feeling that someone had run ice water through her veins. She struggled, trying to escape her mother's clutches, but her grip was too tight.

"You are lucky I cannot use my magic here, or you would not even be standing right now, dear girl."

Regina started to panic as she stared at her mother, who showed no sign of letting her go anytime soon.

"You are not to speak to her. Do I make myself clear?"

Regina closed her eyes and concentrated on her breathing once again, trying to center herself. Even in her vulnerable position, she refused to give into her mother's demands. She willed herself not to nod in forced agreement.

"I asked you a question, Regina," Cora demanded, her growing frustration evident in her voice as she released Regina enough only so she could slam her against the wall again. "I require an answer."

Suddenly, Regina felt her mother's hands drop away from her and the next thing Regina knew, her mother was on the ground against the opposite wall. It was only then that she felt the tell-tale tingling in her fingers, and when she looked down at them she saw they were emitting a faint lilac glow. She gasped in surprise and looked at her mother, who was still crouched on the ground in shock. She met her mother's gaze and for the first time she saw fear reflected back at her. She felt powerful for the first time in her life.

"What did you do?" Cora seethed. "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO?"

"I…uh…" Regina's hands were still shaking, and the tingling of magic had not yet dissipated. She turned and ran out of the room, needing to get away. She could feel that her magic was unstable, and given the unadulterated hatred she felt for her mother in that moment, she did not trust herself not to kill her accidentally.

Regina stumbled out of their suite and into the hallway, frantically trying to decide where to go. She wanted to see Emma, but she was afraid of what might happen since she was not in control of her own power. However, she had no other options, and thinking about the blonde woman seemed to calm her for a brief moment, despite the anxiety swelling inside of her.

She turned down the corridor that would lead back to the main hall of the castle and would eventually take her to Emma's chambers, hoping that the blonde princess would be there. She figured Emma could have still been at the knights' training session, but Regina did not want to be around that many people when she was this unsettled. She did not want to start a war, and accidentally assassinating a slew of the opposing kingdom's nights would do just that.

Regina was grateful that Emma had been so thorough on her tour the previous afternoon as she expertly navigated the now-familiar halls of the palace. As she ran down the hallway and turned a corner, she nearly crashed into her father as he and David chatted jovially. "Regina, why are you running? What is wrong, sweetheart?" Henry asked, concern immediately written across his face. He rarely saw his daughter get this worked up. The last time she was this distraught was after the incident with Daniel when she had cried into his shoulder that Cora had murdered Daniel and his brother. Regina ignored his question, tears threatening to fall from eyes as she pushed past him, mumbled a quick "nothing," and continued quickly traversing the halls of the palace.

* * *

Emma had changed out of her morning attire upon returning to her bedchambers after leaving the knights to the rest of their morning exercises. After Cora had stolen Regina away, Emma quickly lost interest in watching her soldiers spar with one another. Instead, she had gone back to her room, intending to do some reading and perhaps attempting to bring her magic to the surface on demand. She wanted to practice so she could show Regina. However, she found it too hard to concentrate on either task, worried about the reason Cora needed Regina so urgently that she pulled her away from their morning schedules. Emma understood why Regina had said her mother was dangerous – she did not know the full extent of it, as Regina never talked about it in great detail, but Emma had been chilled by the woman's hard stare and cold demeanor. She hoped Regina was okay.

She sat impatiently at her vanity and stared at herself in the mirror as she pulled her hair out from the clip and began to brush her long curls. She had dismissed her handmaid when she returned to her room that morning, wanting to be alone and hoping that the mundane routine of preparing for the afternoon events would help distract her. She looked down at the long emerald green gown she had decided to wear for the upcoming gathering and smiled – it was something more on par with what Regina had been wearing that morning, but not quite as regal.

Concluding that she had waited around enough and would surely drive herself crazy if she sat alone for any longer, Emma decided to go find her parents and see if there was anything she could do to help prepare for the afternoon tea. The second chess match would be the following day, and as such her parents had invited the important local aristocrats to join in a pre-game celebration and to meet the players from both sides.

She walked out of her bedchambers and opened the main door to her quarters, surprised to see a frazzled Regina pacing in the hallway in front of her. "Regina?" Emma asked, concerned by the state of the brunette princess. Her alarm only grew when she received no response. Regina just continued to pace, biting her thumbnail with each step. She called her name again, and when the brunette still did not even look at her, Emma took a chance and stepped in front of her, blocking her path and attempting to pull her out of her trance. It worked, and Regina looked up at Emma, her cheeks stained with the residue of her earlier tears. "Oh, Regina," Emma said, placing a light hand on her elbow and guiding her inside her chambers, shutting the door behind them.

Regina began pacing again, walking between Emma's bedchamber and the main room. Emma grew dizzy from watching the woman, so she instinctively pulled her into a hug. She immediately released her when she felt Regina tense in her arms and harshly say "do not touch me."

"Okay, I'm sorry," Emma said, taking a step back. "What happened?"

Regina remained speechless, still too stunned by what had occurred to explain it.

"Regina, I know you said not to touch you, and I will honor your wishes, but you are making me nervous and you are going to wear a hole in my rug if you do not stop pacing. Can you please come sit down?" Emma asked gently, sitting on one end of the loveseat. Regina nodded almost imperceptibly and sat down on the other cushion, putting as much space between them as she could. "Do you want something to drink? Water? Tea?" Regina shook her head. "Something stronger? Whiskey? Scotch?"

At that, Regina let herself smirk. "I did not take you for a scotch drinker, Your Highness."

Emma let out a sigh of relief, happy that the woman was at least temporarily emerging from her dazed state. "I am full of surprises, Princess. Would you like one?"

Regina shrugged, and Emma decided to take that as a 'yes.' She walked over to her console table, filled two glasses with ice, and opened the crystal decanter filled with the amber liquid. She handed one glass to Regina, who accepted it with a small smile, as she sat back down. The two sat in silence as they sipped their drinks, while Emma carefully observed the other woman. Regina's legs were crossed at the ankle, her posture befitting for a future queen. However, Emma could see the subtle bouncing of her bottom ankle, revealing Regina's unease.

Emma patiently waited for Regina to calm down enough to explain what happened. Eventually, Regina spoke and rapidly recounted the story of what happened with Cora, leaving out some of the more brutal details.

"Wait, you used magic? Against your mother?"

"Yes."

Emma hesitated, but moved closer to Regina. "How?"

"I have no idea. I should not be able to, right? You said no dark magic can be used here. My mother's magic is blocked, which is why she had to resort to physical altercations."

Emma grew alarmed. "Regina, are you okay? Did she hurt you?"

"I am fine. It was nothing more than I have grown accustomed to from her. It was actually not as bad as when she uses magic. She is older now, so she is physically weak. Her grip strength is not what it used to be," Regina managed a small chuckle, downplaying the earlier events.

"Regina…" Emma said, moving closer when she noticed the finger-shaped bruises starting to appear on Regina's neck.

"I'm fine, Emma. Just merely stunned by what happened," she said, backing away from Emma, who had extended a hand to inspect one of the purpling marks above her clavicle. She lightly batted Emma's hand away and looked down at her own that were folded in her lap before she quietly spoke. "Please, don't."

Emma recoiled, sensing the fear in the other woman and cursing herself for crossing a boundary. "I'm sorry, Regina. I was not…I would not hurt you."

Regina looked up at Emma and saw the hurt in her eyes. "Oh I know, Emma. I did not think you would…I just feel on edge and can still feel my magic buzzing below the surface, and I do not wish to harm you. Until I can get it under control, I should not touch anyone. I am too unpredictable right now."

Emma remained quiet for a few moments as she thought about something. "Regina… what if it is not dark magic?"

Regina looked confused. "What if what is not dark magic?"

"What you are using. Dark magic is certainly not feasible here. Your mother is one of the most powerful sorceresses in the realm. If anyone could break through the barrier it would be her or Rumple. Not a novice who has only just started learning it…no offense."

"None taken."

"What if what you are using is light magic?"

"That is not possible."

"It is the only explanation for why you can still access your magic when the squid ink is in place."

"How would that even work? There's no way in Hell that I'm a product of true love like you are – my parents had an arranged marriage and only tolerate each other for the good of the kingdom. They do not love each other."

Emma shrugged. "I don't know. Literally everything I know about magic I learned from you yesterday. You did say there were stories of magic existing outside of magical family lineages…."

"I know, but my magic is hereditary…or at least I assume it is. This does not make sense…" Regina said as she stood up and began to wander around the room, feeling the need to work out her nervous energy.

"Maybe we should go see Rumple…"

Regina paused in front of Emma's bookcase. "No, Emma, you cannot let him know about you. It is too dangerous."

"I know…but this is about you. We do not have to tell him that I have magic."

Regina looked contemplative. "My mother told me I cannot tell him about my ability and that I must stay away from him…I do not want to face her wrath if she finds out."

Emma leaned forward, resting her forearms on her knees as she set her empty glass down on the table in front of her. "Regina, do you really have a choice here? He is imprisoned and debilitated by the ink, so he cannot harm you right now. And if anyone would know what is going on with you, it would be him. Your mother was clearly surprised by what happened, so I am guessing that she does not know. And if she did, I do not think she would be honest with you about it."

Regina nodded. "You are probably right. Plus, my mother's been lying to me about the Dark One anyway. I overheard her and my father talking a few years ago – Rumple wanted to teach me magic and my parents told him no. They do not know that I heard their conversation."

Emma stood up and approached Regina. "Okay. We can go see him this afternoon. We have that tea, but we can easily excuse ourselves after our first serving. There will be many important leaders attending, so most of my parents' knights will be standing guard around that room. That leaves us with a good window to sneak down to the dungeon and speak to Rumple without too much interference. He will have a knight standing guard, but we can figure out how to distract or subdue him."

Regina took a breath as she debated the plan. "Okay, but we need Killian."

Emma looked up in confusion. "What? Why?"

"My mother banned me from speaking to you, and she will make good on her threats if she finds out I disobeyed her. It is dangerous for me to even be here right now, but she seemed genuinely terrified of me after I attacked her, so I do not expect that she will come looking for me right now. But, she will never excuse me from the tea if you leave as well. She will know we are up to something."

"Okay, so you leave first and then I will follow."

Regina shook her head. "She will still suspect something and find a reason to come after us. I will take my leave first, saying that I am tired and do not feel well. If she raises any objections, I will subtly remind her of what she did to me this morning and show her the bruises. She would never want that to be revealed, so she will have to allow me to leave. Then, you take Killian and say that you would like to get a few more practice games in. If Killian leaves with you, my mother will be less suspicious of our true intentions, and her sense of duty to the throne will force her to stay and mingle with your parents' guests."

Emma nodded. "Okay. But what do we do with Killian once he leaves with me? He is a nice guy, but I would not trust him with learning the truth about your magic."

"I agree. Just tell him that you need to take care of something alone, and ask him if he will go to the game room and make it look like you are practicing. If someone comes in looking for you, he can say that you stepped out to get something and will be back soon. Would he be willing to cover for you without asking too many questions?"

"Yes, he will. He is a good friend, and he owes me a favor."

"Okay. I do not know where the dungeon is, so I will need to go to the guest quarters and wait. Can you come get me once you leave?"

"Absolutely. I will send my favorite guard with you when you depart, because I know my parents will insist that we both have someone guarding us while the castle has visitors. If I swear him to secrecy, he will not tell anyone that I came to see you. We can then sneak out through the back exit of your suite and make our way down to the Dark One's cell."

Regina tried to breathe through her nerves, still unsure of this plan and the risks they were about to take. "Okay…if you are sure this is the best option…"

"Regina," Emma said, extending her hand toward the woman. "Do you trust me?"

She smiled and tentatively accepted the proffered hand, immediately sensing the presence of Emma's magic calming her own. It was an odd, but comforting feeling – the exact opposite of the spark of magic that she had felt the day before. "I do…I would trust you with my life."


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:** I think this is my longest chapter in this fic to date! Lots of answers coming your way. Enjoy!

* * *

Their plan worked like a charm, or at least Regina thought it did. She had politely excused herself from the gathering after her first cup of tea, feigning illness. Surprisingly, her mother had not raised any objections, and at Emma's quiet suggestion to David, the king insisted that Regina be accompanied by Marco, Emma's favorite knight, to ensure her safe return to the guest chambers. Regina had caught Emma's eye on the way out of the room, hiding her smile as the blonde winked at her. Ten minutes later, Emma and Killian had excused themselves "to practice for tomorrow's match." Upon returning to her suite, Emma had convinced Killian she had something to take care of, and he agreed to cover for her if anyone came looking. A few short minutes later, Emma found herself in front of Regina, after she had persuaded Marco to let her in to see Regina.

The women successfully snuck down the hidden back exit of the guest chambers, following a staircase down into the bowels of the palace. "Do I want to know why you have a secret passageway behind the guest quarters?" Regina asked Emma as they quietly followed the hallway in the basement.

Emma shrugged as she continued to guide them down the path. "Truthfully, I have no idea. There are some things I have learned not to ask about." They approached a solidly-built oak door, surrounded by dark charcoal-colored stone. "Here we are." Emma pulled a skeleton key out of the pocket of her dress and unlocked the door, pausing before pushing it open. "Are you ready?"

Regina nodded and took a deep breath. They walked through to the large dungeon containing multiple cells, all of which were empty. Regina looked confused but heard Emma whisper "he is over here" in her ear as they entered a narrow hallway to the right of the door. They crept quietly through the labyrinth, knowing that they would eventually find a knight guarding the cell. They needed a distraction, and they figured the safest way was to use Regina's magic, even though it was unpredictable, to cause a diversion at the opposite end of the dungeon.

Emma poked her head around the corner and saw the knight standing guard, his back facing her. She quickly withdrew and pulled Regina into a small alcove in the hallway wall that would keep them hidden when the guard walked past. They stood side-by-side with their backs against the cold concrete, barely fitting into the tight space. She looked over and nodded at Regina, signaling for her to create the distraction. Regina closed her eyes and concentrated, but nothing happened. Emma heard her let out a frustrated sigh, so she reached out and took her hand. "You can do this, Regina." Warm brown eyes looked back at her and the woman nodded, taking her hand trying once again to channel her magic. Moments later, they heard a loud crashing noise at the far end of the dungeon, and within seconds the knight who had been guarding Rumplestiltskin's prison cell jogged past them to go investigate the noise.

After Emma nodded her to indicate it was safe, the girls exited their hiding place and ran to the Dark One's cell. "Well, well, well, what have we here?" He giggled as they approached. "I cannot imagine your mothers would be happy to know you have decided to pay me a visit."

Emma narrowed her eyes. "Well, you will not be telling them, so we need not worry."

"And just what brings you to my humble abode?"

Regina looked over at Emma, suddenly hesitant to go through with their plan, but she received the smallest of encouraging nods in return. She stepped forward to move closer to the cell to face the prisoner. "I can use magic."

"Yes, dearie, I know. This is not news to me," Rumple stated as he rolled his eyes, bored with the information.

"I meant, I can use magic here. Queen Snow and King David used squid ink to protect the entire palace grounds from dark magic while we are here, but for some reason I can still use it."

At that revelation, Rumple perked up and stepped up to the bars of his cell, suddenly intrigued. "Are you sure? Are you sure it was not blondie's magic you felt?"

"Hey!" Emma looked offended at the pet name, while Regina bit her lip to stop herself from laughing. "Wait, how do you know I can—"

"It matters not, dearie," he interrupted.

"Does my mother know? About Emma?" Regina asked, her alarm growing. If Cora knew of Emma's magic, that would mean Emma was already in danger. She looked at Rumple who said nothing, but he raised his eyebrows as he mimed zipping his mouth closed. That was all the confirmation she needed. "Shit."

"Such language for a princess," Rumple teased.

She ignored him. "Is my mother planning something? Is she going to harm Emma?"

"I cannot say. It is my belief that the princess is not in any immediate danger, at least not here…Now, you still have not answered my question. Are you sure it was your magic?"

Regina exhaled slowly, trying to calm her nerves about her mother, as her fears for Emma's safety were not quelled by Rumple's statement. But, she would have to deal with that problem later. She needed Rumple's insight on the matter of her magic first. "Yes. It has happened four times since I have arrived. Three of those times Emma was touching me, but once she was not even in the same room as me."

"Hmmm, I see…and what happened that time when you were alone?"

"Well, I was not alone. My mother was physically restraining me and I lashed out, pushing her across the room with my magic."

"Well, that certainly is something."

"I am sure it is, which is why we are here…can you tell me why? How is this possible?"

"Logic would suggest that you are using light magic, not dark magic, since the barrier is in place."

"Yeah, we figured out that much," Emma said, joining the conversation. She knew they would not have much time until the knight was back and they still did not have any helpful information. "But how is that possible?"

"I cannot know for sure, until I confirm that it is indeed light magic. I cannot sense any magical signatures because of the squid ink that binds me, however I have an idea that might allow me to tell if it is indeed light magic."

"Okay…and what is this theory?" Regina asked.

"If I am correct, I should be able to see your magic, as it would be visible to anyone regardless of their own magical abilities."

"Well, can you see anything now?" Emma asked.

"It does not work like that, dearie. While magic users can feel the magic in others when they are in their presence, magic users do not walk around glowing all the time for all to see —it would be dangerous for them if they did. My theory is that your magic may have been triggered, and while you have access to it at all times, only certain events would allow for the visual manifestation of it."

"So what do you need me to do to trigger this 'visual manifestation,' as you called it?"

He giggled. "I need you two to kiss."

Emma and Regina scoffed simultaneously. "No, you pervert," Emma said.

"Do you want me to be able to see the magical aura or not? Was that not what triggered the magic in the first place?"

"How did you know that?" Regina asked.

"Let's just say a little royal birdy told me."

"Who?" Emma demanded.

Rumple said nothing but cut his eyes over to Regina, just for a moment. "My mother? My mother told you?" Regina asked, new levels of fear rising within her. She knew her mother had witnessed her kiss with Emma, as it was the cause of their fight earlier that morning, but she could not understand why her mother would have told Rumple about it. That could not be a good sign.

Rumple just shrugged in reply before turning back to face both women. "Now, are you girls going to cooperate or has this just been a giant exercise in how to waste my time?"

Emma and Regina looked at each other, debating whether this was really necessary. Emma shrugged and held out her hand. Regina walked over to her and placed her hand in Emma's before turning to face her. Although they had kissed twice already, she was still anxious, especially knowing that she was being watched. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves and leaned in, closing the gap between them. Immediately a sense of calming warmth overtook her. She could feel her magic below her skin, but the fear that often accompanied it faded away, and in that moment, it was only about her and Emma. She forced herself to pull back after a few seconds when she remembered they had an audience.

"Impossible," Rumple said as he tilted his head and tried to hide his surprise, reminding Regina of a canine who did not understand its owners command.

"Well? Did you the information you needed?" Regina asked, taking a step back from Emma and dropping her hand, immediately feeling the loss.

He giggled once again. "I did."

"And?" Emma asked, unamused.

"That information will cost you."

"What?" Regina yelled.

"You should know by now, dearie, that I do not give out information for free. But, I will tell you what I know in exchange for a deal."

"No. I know better than to make a deal with you," Regina said. "Come on, Emma, let's go."

"I was not offering the deal to you, Regina. I would like to make a deal with Emma," he said, turning to direct his attention to the blonde.

Emma started to speak but was interrupted. "No, Emma, it does not matter what he wants. Do not make a deal with him," Regina pleaded.

"Are you going to listen to your little girlfriend or are you interested in hearing my offer? What I have to say might help Regina fend off her mother. So I ask you, how important is this information to you, Emma?" Rumple asked with a glint in his eye.

"What is that you want?" Emma asked.

"I need your help locating a magic bean so I can travel to a new realm to find my son."

"Where the hell am I supposed to find a magic bean?"

"Talk to your mother. She knows more than she lets on," Rumple said, raising a challenging glance to the confused blonde. "And once you have the bean, you will grant me my freedom immediately."

"Even if I wanted to, that would be my parents' decision. I cannot free prisoners, at least not until I am queen."

"Then you will find a way to convince them to let me go."

"You are asking for two things: a bean and your freedom," Emma pointed out. "It is only fair that I get two things in return. If I agree to your deal, not only will you tell Regina what is happening with her magic and answer all our questions about it with absolute honesty, but you must also swear that you will never come after either of us. You cannot ever harm us."

"You are a crafty one, Princess, with an eye for detail. You will make an interesting ruler one day," he said. "I suppose I can agree to those terms, as I will be in a different realm anyway so I would have no need to come after you. Once I am reunited with my son, the two of you will be the least of my concerns. So, do we have a deal?" He extended his arm through the iron bars of his cell.

Emma looked over to Regina who seemed torn and then back to Rumple's extended hand. She offered her own and grasped his scaly palm. "You have a deal."

"Oh, goodie!" He squealed as he gripped Emma's hand before withdrawing his and stepping back from the bars.

Emma wrinkled her nose as she wiped her hand on the side of her dress. "Okay, so tell us what you know."

Rumple sat down on the stone bench at the back of his cell. "Regina does indeed show signs of light magic. The aura you both gave off during that touching moment earlier was quite remarkable, I must say."

"But how can I have light magic? My mother is the darkest magic user there is," Regina questioned.

"Well, she is not the darkest, but she is a close second to me," Rumple said smugly. "While you are not a product of True Love like your blonde princess over here, that does not mean that you can only use dark magic. While dark magic is the natural inclination for your lineage, especially given Cora's strength as a sorceress, it seems that yours is susceptible to change when acted upon by a powerful outside force, which in this case seems to be Emma's pure white magic."

"But why? How? And how can I use it even when she is not near me?" Regina asked, still perplexed by the situation.

"I cannot say for certain, but I have an idea. Tell me, I know your kiss with Emma seemed to ignite this new light magic Regina, but did this kiss also cause Emma's to awaken for the first time?" Rumple asked, already knowing the answer since Cora had told him as much.

The two women looked at each other before Emma answered. "Yes."

"Oh, excellent! Given how the events have unfolded, and since your magical power caused Emma's dormant magic to make itself known, my best guess —and do keep in mind that I am rarely wrong— is that your magic united during your first kiss. I think it intertwined before returning back to its host, essentially forging a magical connection that allows each of you to access both types of magic."

"So I can use dark magic?" Emma asked, suddenly fearful.

"All signs point to yes, though we cannot know for sure as long as the squid ink barrier is protecting the palace grounds. You can test that out once you leave the palace or whenever the barrier is removed."

"No…I do not want dark magic," Emma said, backing up slightly.

"Well, it is too late for that, dearie. You have it," Rumple replied, lurching toward the bars of his cell once more and startling both women.

"Emma, he said you can use it, not that you have to use it. You can learn how to control it and only use your light magic," Regina said, trying to comfort her. "Right, Rumple?"

"One would assume, yes. But you would really be doing yourself a disservice not to take advantage of being able to use it. I think you will come to find that it can be quite fun!" Rumple laughed.

"Why did this happen?" Regina asked, still not getting the answers from the man that she had come to seek.

"It is extraordinarily rare for this to occur, to the extent that it has thought be nothing but a myth," he explained. "Legend has it that every light magic user has a magical soulmate, someone who wields dark magic. When the two magical souls unite, it allows both individuals to use light and dark magic, as long as the magical tether between the two remains intact."

"What does that mean? What is a magical tether?" Emma asked.

"Like I said, this has been dismissed as nothing more than folklore, but the best stories always have their root in truth, don't they? And, it seems to be the most plausible explanation for what has happened here. The magical tether is not an ongoing physical connection, but indeed a purely magical one. It essentially means that once the magical souls have united via a physical means, as yours have done through your kiss, it cannot be broken unless one of you dies. If that were to happen, the other would lose her ability to use her non-native magic, and even her own inherent magical ability would dwindle significantly after that loss to almost an imperceptible level. As such, conveniently magical soulmates are immune to their other half's magic. You cannot harm each other using your magic of either type. Although I suppose if you really wanted to kill each other, you could always resort to physical violence — perhaps a sword. But, why you would ever want to do that when it would do nothing but weaken your own magical power is beyond me."

"I would never want to hurt Regina," Emma said, disgusted by the idea.

"Nor would I hurt Emma," Regina added.

"You say that now…but I digress. If you wish no ill will upon one another, then you need not be concerned with that detail," Rumple shrugged.

"Why have I never heard this legend before?" Regina asked. "Why has my mother not said anything about it? She has been teaching me the history of dark magic for several years now, but this has never been mentioned."

"That is because she is not aware. Everything she knows she learned from me… Like I said, it is a very old myth. In fact, the tale is so old that it has all but died out, and not many even know of it. I never mentioned it to Cora because there did not seem to be a reason to perpetuate something I thought was nonsense. But, clearly I was wrong about that. It may not be folklore after all."

"Okay, so if this is true, Emma and I can use both dark and light magic and we cannot hurt each other with it. And if something happens to one of us, the other one becomes magically weak, correct?"

"Indeed, dearie."

"Then what is the purpose of it? What good is having a magical soulmate if in the end it results in decreasing one's own magical ability if, God forbid, one of us dies?" Regina asked.

"Ah, you ask a good question, Princess. Rumor has it that that is exactly the reason why magical soulmates have been unheard of for the past few centuries. While they theoretically still exist, it seems fate has prevented them from meeting because of the risk it would pose to the two individuals. Think of it as magical natural selection – one cannot produce an heir if he or she is dead. In almost every case, it would be better for the two halves never to combine. And in most cases, it would not happen anyway —rarely do light and dark magic users mingle intimately, and that is what is required for the souls and magic to unite. Simply being in the presence of one another is not enough. The magical tether requires a physical connection of a certain kind before it can be created. The odds of the two halves finding one another and then coming together in that way are extremely slim. Except in your case, it seems."

Emma looked at him inquisitively. "You still did not answer her question. Why would magical soulmates exist if it just leads to our ultimate destruction? Shouldn't finding your soulmate be a good thing?"

"You did not let me finish, Princess Emma. I was getting there," Rumple giggled, the sound of which was starting to grate on Emma's nerves as she grew irritated. "The story, as I learned it, goes like this: if two magical soulmates find one another and their power is tethered, then yes, they do have that pesky risk of losing it all if that connection is severed. However, they also become more powerful, even when they are on their own, than they ever would have been without their other half. And, if they join forces and work together, they could indeed be nearly unstoppable, potentially surpassing even the most powerful magical users known to mankind, assuming that they are strong enough."

"Even more powerful than you?" Regina quirked her eyebrow.

"In theory, if you learned to wield your power correctly, then yes. It is conceivable that together, you two could be more powerful than I, or any future Dark One. However, that would take time for you to progress to that stage. It would not happen overnight, and by then I will be long gone into another realm. And need I remind you, I already promised I would not harm either of you."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, we will not try to kill you anytime soon. As long as you do not give us a reason to, you are safe…for now," Emma deadpanned.

"Your compassion warms my cold, black heart, dearie."

Regina still wanted more answers. "If this connection will give us such power, then why did you say it is better that most soulmates never connect?"

"There are many reasons, dearie. As Emma correctly surmised, it would most likely lead to their own destruction. But, there is a small window where it can be done to benefit the two soulmates. You found each other when your magic was still young, or in Emma's case, still latent. You have not given into the inherent darkness of yours yet, Regina, nor has Emma developed her pure magic yet. If this had happened 10 or 15 years from now, it might be a much different situation. You are early enough in your training to work together to manage your connection. If two magical beings found their soulmate later on in life, and in a moment of poor decision-making managed to come together in the way required to form a tether, they would likely already be on opposing sides — for the sake of simplicity, let us say that one would be 'good', while one would be 'evil.' They would hardly want to work together to take advantage of their full potential. And while their individual power would still be magnified to some extent, it would not serve much of a purpose. They could not harm the other because of the built-in protection the tether creates, and if someone from the 'good' side attacked and killed the 'evil' soulmate, then the 'good' soulmate would lose almost all of his or her magical ability. All magic comes with a price, and this is not one most would want to pay."

"What if we don't want to pay it?" Regina asked, refusing to look at Emma, knowing that her words would likely hurt Emma. It was not that Regina was repulsed by the idea of being magically connected to her, in fact she rather liked the idea that it would bring them closer, but she did not like the stipulations that were attached.

"There are no 'backsies' on this, Regina. As rare as this phenomenon is, I know for sure that it cannot be undone." A vile smile appeared on Rumple's face, causing Regina's stomach to twist in discomfort.

"Then why us?" Regina asked. "Why should we pay the price?"

"Do you believe in destiny, Regina? The capacity for two soulmates' combined power greatly depends on each user's innate magical potential. For most magical soulmates, their individual potential is not anything exceptional, so their combined power would barely amplify their own strength. For them, finding their match is hardly worth the vulnerability that would result, and thus I think fate plays a part in keeping them from finding one another. However, you, Regina, are the daughter of a powerful sorceress, while Emma is the product of True Love. Even if you were not soulmates, you both have great potential. Together, you can be exponentially stronger than you would ever have been had you not found one another. I cannot be surprised that it turned out that you are bound in this way. Perhaps fate has something big in store for you that requires both of you to play your part."

"Do you know of any cases where this has happened before?" Emma asked.

Rumple shook his head. "It has only been rumored to happen once before, many centuries ago, during the time of the first Dark One. That is why we thought it to be a myth. No one has seen it happen since then."

"Is there any way to prove it?" Regina asked. "I am reluctant to just take your word for it."

"You do not have to believe me, but like I said, it is the only explanation I can fathom. And there is no real way to prove it for certain, beyond killing one of you and finding out if the other's magic is weakened beyond repair, although I have an idea that might help support the theory that you are soulmates."

"And what would that be?" Regina asked, still overwhelmed by the information she received.

"Try to hurt Emma with your magic. If you cannot, then you know it is true…either that, or you do not yet know enough about magic to attack someone on command."

"No. I would never do that," Regina shook her head.

Rumple shrugged. "Then you cannot know for sure."

"Regina, try it," Emma ordered.

"What? Emma, no," Regina said, turning to face the blonde.

"I trust you."

"What if he is wrong? What if he is just saying this to get me to hurt you?"

"Oh please, Regina, if I wanted to hurt Emma I would have plenty of other ways to do it," Rumple scoffed. "You do not need to try to kill her…just a little something that might cause pain temporarily to prove my theory."

Regina turned back to Rumple. "How? I do not know many spells, and even so my magic here is unpredictable."

"You can produce fireballs, can you not? Create one."

"I am not lighting her on fire," Regina said, appalled at the suggestion.

"I did not suggest that you set the princess ablaze, Regina. Simply make one in your hand and then Emma can quickly move her hand through it. If she remains unscathed, then you will know. If not, she will have some minor charring, but nothing that would be permanently dangerous."

Regina looked at him in shock before turning to Emma when she heard her command, "Do it, Regina."

She looked at the green eyes willing her to try it and complied. Closing her eyes and turning her right palm up toward the ceiling, Regina tried to will a flame to form in her hand. "It is not working," she huffed in frustration as she looked at her empty hand.

"Concentrate harder," Rumple replied, growing impatient. "Imagine your mother is coming at you and you need to protect yourself. It is really not that hard, dearie."

Regina rolled her eyes at the man and looked back down at her hand before closing her eyes. "You can do it, Regina," she heard Emma's voice say softly in encouragement. This time, she felt the familiar tingle of magic moving through her veins and a soft warmth on her palm. She opened her eyes and smiled at the orange flame in her hand.

"Good, keep it going," Rumple commanded. "Emma, it is time for you to test it."

Emma nodded and looked at Regina, seeing the apprehension in Regina's face. "Hey, whatever happens, it is okay," Emma said before hovering her own hand a few inches above the top of the flame. At that moment, Emma was not sure what she wanted to happen. One part of her hoped that their magical connection was real, but she was also terrified at what that would mean for them both. She took a deep breath and lowered her hand toward Regina's, moving slowly through the fire and never once breaking eye contact with Regina.

"Well, look at that," Rumple said.

Both women looked down at Emma's hand, resting less than an inch above Regina's in the middle of the scorching flame. A white glow surrounded her hand, deflecting the fire around her skin. Regina inhaled sharply at the sight, but kept the ball of fire burning. Emma pulled her hand back instinctively and inspected it. "I could feel the warmth, but I am completely fine. There is not a mark on me."

"I suppose saying 'I told you so' would be unappreciated?" Rumple snickered.

"Not so fast. You said so yourself that maybe my magic is not working properly," Regina pointed out, walking toward Rumple with the flame still glowing. "It might not be Emma's magic protecting her, but it might be my own incompetence. The only way to know for sure is for you to put your hand out and see if you get burned. Give me your hand," Regina raised her brow, while Emma chuckled softly behind her as they watched the incredulous look come over Rumple's face.

"I'm sorry, but I do not think so," Rumple said.

"Come on, Rumple, are you not at least a little curious? You know I have a point. Don't you want to know once and for all if this myth is true?" Regina baited.

Rumple rolled his eyes. "Fine. Come closer." He quickly extended his hand and swiped it through the tip of the flame, enough that they all could hear and smell the hairs singe on his knuckles before he snatched his hand back, trying to shake off the pain. "Congratulations, dearie, you are not as inept as your mother says you are."

Regina extinguished the flame and looked back at Rumple. "You were right."

Rumple curtseyed in response. "Of course I was."

"So what do we do next?" Regina asked.

"Well, I would suggest you figure out how to work together to make the most of it and to keep each other safe, despite your ongoing family feuds," he giggled. "And I would recommend keeping this little detail to yourselves. You will have a target on your back if you let the secret out. There are a lot of people who have gripes with both of your families and hate magic in general. Imagine what they would do if they knew taking out one of you would essentially incapacitate the other. You are a two-for-one special now, especially while you are still learning to use your skills and do not yet know how to properly fight back."

"You have to promise not to tell anyone, especially my mother," Regina demanded.

"Oh, Regina, you amuse me…I do not have to do anything. That was not part of the deal I made with your precious soulmate." Rumple sighed dramatically before continuing. "But, for now I will keep this information to myself, as it serves me better to have Emma alive so she can fulfill her end of our agreement. And if she does not hold up her part of the bargain in a reasonable amount of time, well, I can be known to run my mouth to anyone who will listen."

"And what do you consider 'a reasonable amount of time?" Emma asked.

Rumple lifted his index finger to his mouth and pretended to think. "Hmmm…let's say three full moons. I think that is generous enough."

Emma rolled her eyes. "Fine. I will get you your damn magic bean."

"And my freedom."

"And your freedom," Emma amended. "And I suppose asking you to teach us how to use our magic would be out of the question?"

"Damn right. Perhaps you can ask Cora, dearies," Rumple stated, just as they heard rustling down the hall.

"Regina, we have to get out of here," Emma said, realizing that the guard was likely on his way back. "You breathe a word to anyone that we were here, Rumple, and you will be sorry."

He once again brought his fingers to his lips and mimed the zipping motion, pretending to throw away the key for good measure.

"This way," Emma said as she grabbed Regina's arm and ushered her out of the room. They could hear the footsteps of someone in the distance rapidly approaching, so Emma once again pushed Regina into the small and dark crevice in the wall. There was not time for her to slide in herself, so she was forced to come face-to-face with one of the people she least wanted to see at that moment. "Mother? What are you doing down here?"

"I should ask you that same question, Emma," Snow said as she approached her daughter. Emma quickly moved forward to meet her mother several feet away from the alcove, hoping to block her view.

"I was practicing with Killian and I heard a loud noise down here, so curiosity got the best of me. I came to investigate and saw that the guard to the Dark One's cell was gone. I was trying to look for him."

"Oh, Emma. Do not go near the Dark One. You should have come to me and let me know the guard was missing."

"I did not want to get him in trouble, mother. I imagine he was only investigating the disruption I heard."

"You are too kind for your own good, Emma. You will make a benevolent queen one day," Snow said, embracing her daughter.

"Thank you, mother. I can only hope I am as kindhearted as you. You have been a wonderful role model."

Snow smiled as she released her daughter from the hug.

"What are you doing down here? I would have thought you would still be with our visitors."

"It is of no concern to you, Emma, not when you have a big day ahead of you. Regina has already retired for the evening. Perhaps you should do the same."

"Of course, Mother," Emma bowed her head slightly, allowing Snow to place a kiss on top of her hair before moving past her and continuing her walk toward Rumple's cell. Snow turned around once more, and Emma smiled and waved as her mother disappeared from view. Emma quickly took a few steps back toward the hidden crack in the wall and grabbed for Regina in the dark. "Let's go, now!" She whispered.

Regina grasped her hand and emerged from her hiding place, as the two quickly ran down the hall, through the door of the dungeon, and up the stairs. "Wait, we cannot go back this way," Regina said as she realized they were headed back toward the same way they entered. "What if my parents are back in their rooms already? We cannot emerge from the secret passageway and walk right into them."

"Good point. This way, then," Emma said, taking her hand again and leading her toward the main entrance of the basement. "Hopefully my father has already returned to his den, and if we see any guards just follow my lead. I will say I was giving you another tour, and they should know better than to question me."

Regina nodded as they made their way to the first floor of the palace, safely avoiding any roaming knights, and Emma led Regina back toward her private chambers. They walked into the game room and found Killian staring at an untouched chess board. "Took you long enough, Princess," he said.

Emma rolled her eyes. "Killian, out."

He lifted his eyebrows but said nothing to Emma as he stood up from the chair. "Princess," he said, bowing to Regina as he left Emma's suite.

"So, do you believe him?" Emma asked as she took a seat in the chair Killian vacated, and gestured for Regina to sit down across from her.

"It seems crazy, but do we have choice? It is clear my magic did not bring you any harm, and I do not see why he would lie about this. I mean, if he is right, then we should be able to overpower him eventually. I cannot imagine he would want us to have that information, and your deal required him to tell us the truth. What good would come from him lying to us about it?"

"Yeah…" Emma said, realizing that Regina made a valid point.

"So, what now?" Regina asked, sighing as she looked down at her hands that were still trembling with uncontrolled magic.

Emma looked over at her and met her gaze. "Honestly? I have no idea." She laid her arm across the table, knocking over a few chess pieces on the board as she did so. Regina looked down at Emma's hand before taking it in hers. "But, we will figure it out together."

* * *

 **A/N:** Well, hopefully that answers what is happening with Regina's (and Emma's) magic. I decided to shy away from the "true love" path since I see that done in stories all the time (although I love that, too), and I wanted to try a different approach. I haven't seen the magical soulmate connection done before (although maybe it has been and I just haven't read it? Idk.) so I wanted to give that twist a shot. This story will be wrapping up soon, with the next few chapters really serving as the climax to the story and challenging the strength of the two women, both individually and as a pair.

I think most of you follow/favorite the story and not me specifically as an author, which is absolutely fine and what I tend to do as well. If that's the case, you can ignore this paragraph. However, I know a handful of you have favorited/followed me (in addition to and/or rather than just my individual fics) and therefore get a notification every time I start a new fic or post a chapter in any fic, so I wanted to let you know that I will be posting a new story sometime this weekend (a oneshot) that will be an OQ AU (although it's mostly Regina-centric and is light on the direct OQ interaction). If you've read my profile, you know that I am one of the apparently rare multi-shippers when it comes to Regina, because she's my favorite... while I love SQ, I also really enjoy DQ, OQ, and even a little EvilCharming now and then. I don't write OQ often, but I have an idea that won't leave my head, so I have to do it. Plus, I like the creative challenge of writing for different pairings now and then. The forthcoming OQ fic will be a completely different writing style than what I usually do, so I wanted to play with it in short oneshot. Basically, I'll be writing it as a palate cleanser of sorts to clear my head before I start writing the new SQ fic that I plan to start once I finish _Queen to Play_. If you are subscribed to me as an author on here and receive email notifications, it will be very clear by the story description and tags that it is OQ, so if that's not your thing you can easily avoid it. And since it will only be a oneshot, you shouldn't get more than one email about the new story. So, I just wanted to give you a head's up because I know the authors I have officially 'followed' on FFnet sometimes post fics in other fandoms, and I'm always like "WTF? Why am I getting this message? I don't even watch this show" when I get an email notification about it, and then I realize "oh yeah, I follow them, not just their individual fics." So, yeah. **Moral of the story/tl;dr** : I will occasionally post a non-SQ story, but it will always be super easy to identify it as such by the tags and description, so you can quickly delete the email and ignore it if it's not your thing. But, if you do follow me as an author, I hope you will continue to do so even if you don't like OQ, because the majority of what I write is SQ-centric — the OQ notifications will be few and far between. And if you're not completely opposed to the idea of Robin as a character, I hope you'll check it out because I promise it's not at all explicit (nor is it happy OQ fluff), and truthfully he's barely in it. It's definitely going to be 90% Regina-focused, and I would love feedback from my current readers on the different narrative approach I will be taking in that story. But, I certainly understand if you don't want to go near a fic that has OQ undertones, and I promise I will have plenty of forthcoming SQ drama, fluff, humor, and angst in my existing and future fics for you all to enjoy.

As always, thanks for reading! I really appreciate your comments, follows, and favorites. And for those of you following my _A Serendipitous Encounter_ verse, another chapter to _A Montreal Excursion_ should be up tomorrow (before I post the new one shot, as I want to post this disclaimer over there for those followers, too.) And like I mentioned above, I have at least one more multi-chapter SQ fic brewing that I'll start after I finished up _Queen to Play._ (Most likely a modern-day AU, although I have a few FTL ideas in my head, too. Those tend to take more time due to the complexity of magic, though, so I want to let those marinate a bit more so I can do them justice).


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N:** I'm sorry this is so late! PhD'ing is kicking my ass and admittedly I fell down a fanfic rabbit hole when I found a bunch of 100k+ completed fics I had never seen before and decided I had to read those...anyway, let's get back to it!

* * *

"Checkmate," Killian called as he slid his rook across the board, capturing Regina's bishop that had been protecting her king and effectively cornering her between her own pieces.

"Indeed it is," Rumplestiltskin confirmed as he presided over the game. He turned to the small audience of noblemen from both kingdoms, declaring Killian the victor. "The Northern Kingdom has won today, bringing the tournament standings to one win for each side. There will be one final match fifteen days from today. The location of the final match will be determined by a coin toss at the feast tonight." He concluded the match and dismissed the players before Queen Snow's guards whisked him away and led him back to his prison in the castle's dungeon.

"Well done, Killian," Regina said, extending her hand in a friendly offering.

"Thank you, Princess. You played well. I look forward to our final battle."

Regina smiled kindly, catching Emma's eye as the blonde moved to congratulate her player. "As do I."

As Regina turned around to exit the stage on which they were playing, she heard her mother approach her from where she had been seated as her second. "Regina, I expect to see you back in our chambers posthaste."

Her smile was immediately replaced by a sense of foreboding, knowing what was to come. "Of course, Mother," she said, slightly bowing her head in deference.

As she walked down the steps of the stage and back toward the entrance to the castle, she found her father waiting for her. He kissed her on the cheek and smiled warmly, a stark and welcome contrast to Cora's reaction. "Well played, Regina. I am proud of you."

"Thanks, Daddy," she said as she looped her arm through his and was escorted back inside the palace. Somehow Emma had made it back inside before they did, and Regina once again caught her eye as they walked by. This time, however, Emma did not smile back, but instead tilted her head in question as she regarded Regina closely. Regina merely raised an eyebrow in response.

"What the hell was that?" Cora yelled as soon as Regina and Henry closed the door after entering their suite. "I trained you better than that."

"I am sorry I disappointed you, Mother," Regina replied with her head down, hoping if she appeared apologetic perhaps her mother's punishment would not be too severe.

"Do not attempt to humor me, Regina," she seethed, pushing past Henry and backing Regina into the corner of the common room of their chambers. "You really will be sorry if you do."

At Cora's threat, which Regina knew was empty given her mother's inability to use magic at that moment, Regina lifted her head back up, staring directly into Cora's eyes in challenge. "Is that so?" She never let her gaze waiver from her mother's eyes, even when she heard her father softly call her name in a fearful warning. She took a step forward, pushing off the wall Cora had cornered her against and walked purposely toward the older woman, allowing a slight smirk to grace her lips as she did so. "What could you possibly do to me? I think we both know you are powerless here." Regina knew it was stupid to bait her mother, but she knew her words would hit a nerve.

She was right. Cora made a move toward Regina, and when Henry saw his wife press forward, he stepped in front of her, placing himself between the two women he loved more than anything. "Cora, do not do this. Please," he said, placing a gentle hand on her forearm.

"Shut it, Henry. This does not concern you," she said, harshly shoving him out of her way before turning back to Regina, who was looking over at her father in shock. Regina had never seen her mother attack her father, magically or physically. She could see he was not harmed, but she was still sickened by the thought. "I may not have magic, but I still have my hands," Cora reminded Regina, grabbing her roughly and seemingly forgetting about Regina's magical eruption that had occurred after their previous confrontation the morning before.

Regina felt her mother's hands wrap around her throat, her fingers aligning perfectly with the still purple bruises that were hidden by the collar on her gown. She felt herself being pushed backward toward the wall, but before her back could slam against the cold concrete, she felt the tingling of light magic below the surface of her skin. She knew she had to control it, lest her father accidentally get hurt by whatever outburst might happen if she was not careful. She closed her eyes and summoned what she knew was inside her, focusing on protecting herself. Suddenly, she saw a sparkling of lavender light crackling in her periphery and her mother fell backward as the light faded away, quickly dancing around her before it did so. In Cora's anger, she charged toward her daughter again, only to be repelled as soon as she was within six inches of the princess. Regina smiled slyly, realizing that she had managed to enact a shield around herself.

She chanced a look at her father, who stared back at her stunned. "Regina, how…?" He had not known she had learned to use magic, let alone light magic.

Regina smiled lovingly at him before turning a steely gaze on her mother, whose anger had continued to grow and was now radiating from her. "Oh, Mother, did you not know that my magic had the potential to be light? The squid ink barrier put in place to protect this kingdom from _your_ magical influences has no effect on me."

"Just wait until we are back home, Regina," Cora warned.

However, Regina could see the fear in her mother's eyes, and she relished in the thought that maybe, just maybe, her mother might be afraid of her. She smirked as she closed her eyes, disappearing from the room in a swirl of purple and white smoke.

 ***.*.***

"Regina?" A stunned blonde asked as she stood in her dressing gown, preparing a cup of tea.

"Well, that's new," Regina said when she reappeared moments later in the common area of Emma's chambers, trying to regain her bearings. She extended an arm out toward the nearby desk as she felt her legs starting to give out. Emma quickly reached for her and caught her just as she started to go down. She gently directed her to the nearby chair, setting her down carefully.

"Regina, are you okay? What happened?" Emma asked, taking in the woman whose olive complexion was startlingly pale.

The brunette princess blinked her eyes a few times. "I am not completely sure. I was in our suite and my mother tried to attack me, but I was able to put up a magical barrier so she couldn't touch me. I closed my eyes while I tried to think how to get out of the situation since I did not know how long my magic could hold up the shield. The next thing I knew I had transported myself here," she said as she refocused her eyes on the woman in front of her, blushing slightly at the sight of Emma in a thin rose-colored silk robe, loosely tied and much shorter than anything she would dare to be seen in by anyone other than her personal handmaid. "Sorry," she said, averting her eyes.

Emma shrugged and walked over to the bureau in the corner, pouring two cups of tea from the kettle a servant had brought just a few minutes earlier. She approached Regina again, handing her a cup before pulling over a chair and sitting down across from her. "Do you feel okay? You nearly passed out."

Regina nodded. "I will be fine. I have never traveled by magic before, so I think that just took a lot out of me. I do not know how my mother does it all the time." She sipped her tea, closing her eyes as she relished the taste of peppermint. "Thank you for catching me," she said. "And for the tea."

"I would never let you fall, if I can help it," Emma said, and in response Regina raised an eyebrow as she took another sip. Emma blushed. "I'm sorry, was that really corny?"

"Maybe a little. I appreciate the sentiment, though," Regina said. "I am sorry if I am intruding. I did not intend to drop in unexpectedly."

"You are always welcome here, Regina. And I am glad you ended up teleporting yourself here instead of somewhere else in the castle. That could have ended poorly if people found out about your abilities. You need to be careful. We both do."

Regina sobered at that thought. "I know. I did not even know I was capable of teleporting myself. I'm not sure how I ended up here rather than another room, but I am glad I did."

Emma smiled and gently took Regina's hand. "Maybe it has something to do with this magical soulmate thing?"

Regina contemplated that idea, letting Emma lightly play with her fingers. "Perhaps. Maybe it led me here because this is where you were and I knew I would be safe here?"

"Could be. I suppose it was a good thing I was not taking a bath at that moment, then. You might have landed in a tub of water," Emma winked at Regina, who chuckled in response. "I am glad you feel safe with me, though. Like Rumple said, we are now bound to each other, so we have to keep each other safe."

"Ah yes, the self-preservation thing," Regina nodded.

Emma quickly shook her head. "No, not just self-preservation, Regina. I do not care about that aspect, or at least not as much as I probably should. I just do not wish to see any harm come to you…even if we were not bound magically, that would still be the case." She looked down at their joined hands and then back up at Regina. "Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Why did you throw the match?"

"What?" Regina asked, stunned.

"The chess game. Why did you let Killian win?"

"I do not know what you are talking about."

"Regina, I do not care if you did…I am just curious."

"I didn't let him win," Regina said, her eyes flicking away from Emma's for a moment.

"Regina, I can tell when you are lying. Please do not do that with me."

She looked back at the blonde, guilty. "How did you know?"

"How did I know you were lying or that you threw the game?"

"Both."

"You have a tell. And as for the game, I watched you play last time and today. You are a brilliant player, and you made some really bad moves today. And it did not seem like you just accidentally made a wrong move. I saw how you deliberately made those choices — it was like you were trying to make the least strategic move you could. You did not play like the grandmaster you are."

Regina nodded. "Yeah…"

"So, why did you do it? And please, tell me the truth."

Regina hesitated before she spoke, knowing that Emma would be able to tell if she was telling falsehoods. "My father…" Regina began, recalling the events of the previous evening:

 ** _*20 Hours Earlier_** ** _*_**

 _Regina was thinking over everything she had learned that day about her connection with Emma. She and Emma had decided that Rumple must have been telling them the truth. They had wanted to talk more about what this meant for them, but they had been whisked away to supper shortly after returning to Emma's chambers after their meeting with the Dark One, and they had not yet had a chance to speak more about it. She heard a knock on the door of the bedroom in the guest suite as she was brushing her hair and getting ready for bed. "Come in," she called out, hoping it would be Emma._

 _"Hi sweetie," her father said as he slipped through the door and closed it behind him. "Is this a bad time?"_

 _"No, not at all," she smiled as she stood up from the vanity and went over to kiss his cheek. "What brings you by? I thought you and Mother had gone to sleep an hour ago."_

 _"Your mother did, but I wanted to talk to you before retiring for the night."_

 _"Is everything okay?" she asked, taking a step back and looking concerned._

 _"Yes, dear…but I wanted to speak with you about the match tomorrow."_

 _"Oh, okay…what about it?"_

 _"I need you to let Killian win."_

 _At that request, her eyes widened. "What? Why?"_

 _Henry gestured to one of the chairs in her room. "May I sit?"_

 _"Of course," she said, as she herself sat down on the chaise next to the chair he selected._

 _"King David and I have made great strides in resolving the conflict between our kingdom, thanks to our wives being otherwise occupied."_

 _Regina chuckled. "You mean them going to great lengths to stay as far away from each other as possible?"_

 _"Yes," he laughed, "that. It turns out their inability to coexist peacefully in the same room is good for something —they have both left us alone long enough that David and I have been able to make some headway on our longstanding disputes."_

 _"That is great news, Daddy," Regina said. "But why do I need to lose tomorrow, then?"_

 _"Because, my dear Regina, we have not reached a resolution yet. We need a little more time to solidify the progress we have made… We need the time that the tie-breaking third match would give us."_

 _Regina nodded as she digested her father's words. "Why can't you reach a treaty even if I win and the tournament ends tomorrow?"_

 _"We have agreed that the winner of the tournament will automatically takeover the Avonlea land, but our kingdoms' disputes run much deeper than that. When the tournament is done, despite good intentions, we will go back to our normal responsibilities and it will be extremely challenging for David and I to find time to meet to the extent that we would need to, and most importantly, without the interference of our queens. This forced coupling, for lack of a better term, is what we need to plow through all our disagreements. It is not just about the Avonlea land. It is everything—decades of history that must be overcome."_

 _"I see…and I can understand that, but Mother would have my head if I did what you are asking of me," she replied. She wanted to honor her father's request, but she had good reason to be concerned as to what Cora would do to her if she lost, especially if it seemed to be intentional. When her father did not answer, she continued. "She will kill me, Daddy, do you not get that? Look what she did to me this morning. She cannot use magic to hide her actions this time," she winced as she moved her hair out of the way and pulled aside the collar of the gown she was still wearing from the earlier noblemen's tea party, revealing the fingerprint-shaped bruises on her neck._

 _Henry gasped as he moved closer to his daughter, inspecting the marks. "Oh, Regina. Are you okay, honey? What happened?"_

 _"What do you think happened?" She asked, perhaps more rudely than she should have. "I'm sorry, Father. I did not mean to snap at you. I am still upset with her," she said, taking a breath. "We had an argument earlier and since she cannot use magic here to bend me to her will, she resorted to physical restraint. I was able to fight her off and left."_

 _"Why did you argue?" Henry asked._

 _Regina hedged, not knowing whether her father knew about the kiss in the garden that precipitated the disagreement with her mother. She assumed he did not, because he would have said something if he did. While she knew her father would not physically harm her, she was still afraid of what he might do if he disapproved. "It is not important," she decided to tell him. "Just another one of our disputes. You know how she is."_

 _He nodded as he settled back into his chair. "Regina, I will do my best to protect you from your mother's wrath, but you know I would not be asking this of you if it were not important, if I did not think that this would let us reach a peaceful treaty that benefits both kingdoms."_

 _She looked at her hands, nervously fidgeting with a loose strand of thread in the seam of her skirt. "I know it is important, Daddy, but I do not know if I have the strength to battle Mother again so soon…or worse. Imagine what will happen on our way home as soon as she is outside of the squid ink barriers and has her power back."_

 _He sighed. "I understand, Regina. I cannot force you to do it, and I would not want to coerce you. This is your call to make. And I hate to use this to sway your decision, but I know you would like to spend more time with Princess Emma. I know you two have gotten close, and a third match would give you more time together. Once the tournament is over, you likely will not be able to see each other again until you are both on the throne. The extra match might help you cement your relationship so that when that day comes, you can lead the peace between the kingdoms." He smiled softly at Regina before he stood up and exited her room, while she remained seated on the chaise, her jaw still dropped by her father's words. She found herself analyzing his choice of words, and wondering if he truly did know the extent of her relationship with the Northern Kingdom princess._

"Wow," Emma said, shaking her head after hearing Regina's story. "I cannot believe that."

"I know. I know I should be angry with him because he manipulated me to get me to throw the match, but somehow I cannot be. I knew what decision I was making."

"Yeah…um, is that why you did it? Just so we can see each other again?"

Regina shrugged. "Partially, but he made a good point, even before he brought your name into the conversation. If our fathers can make a treaty and end this endless war and bring about peace, shouldn't they try? And should I not play my part to help them along? In the end, I can handle a bit of my mother's wrath for what could be an end to all this fighting," she responded. "Plus, the guaranteed promise of seeing you again for a few days in two weeks was tempting. And, my father was right. It would be nearly impossible for us to justify seeing each other prior to being anointed, and we need more time to figure out this magical binding thing. I leave to go back to my kingdom first thing in the morning, so it is not like we will be able to figure out our next steps before that happens."

Emma nodded, understanding and appreciating Regina's motivations, but still concerned about what that would mean for the other princess — she hated to think of what Cora would do as soon as she had her magic back. She forced herself to ignore those thoughts. "Are you feeling any better now? Can I get you anything? More tea? Water?" she asked as she appraised the other woman. The color had returned to her features, and she appeared to be in no immediate danger of passing out again.

Regina shook her head as she set her empty teacup down on the desk next to her. "No, thank you. I am feeling a little better," she said, repositioning herself in the chair to sit up straighter as she tested her balance.

Emma watched her carefully, a question forming in her mind as she saw Regina close her eyes and purse her lips. "Regina, what is it?"

"I still have a bit of a headache and am still a little dizzy… and I cannot feel my magic."

"Do you normally feel it? All the time?" Emma asked. She was still new to understanding this side of herself, and she personally did not feel her own magic all the time.

"No, not unless my emotions are out of control, or unless I am specifically trying to sense it, like I am right now," she said, shrugging. "I suppose maybe I just used too much all at once and it takes awhile to recharge."

Emma nodded, as that explanation made sense to her. "Can I try something?" she asked, lightly squeezing the hand she was still holding in her own.

"Of course," Regina consented.

Emma smiled and leaned forward, lightly brushing her lips against Regina's until she felt the brunette respond in kind. She felt her own magic rice to the surface and tried to focus it on the woman in front of her. She gently tugged on Regina's bottom lip, wanting to deepen the kiss in hopes that it would help strengthen their magical connection.

Regina obliged, instinctively wrapping her hands around Emma's back and pulling her toward her until the blonde settled on her lap, one leg draped on either side of Regina's hips. She could feel her magic thrumming in her veins again, almost as if Emma was pushing it through her, and her headache was quickly dissipating. She still felt lightheaded, but she could no longer blame it on the strain of teleporting. She made that realization as her hands moved over Emma's bare thighs, thanks to the short robe that had shifted due to Emma straddling her waist. She quickly dropped her hands and pulled back from the kiss, opening her eyes as she was startled back to the present.

Emma opened her eyes when she felt Regina pull back, taking in the flushed woman below her. "Feel better?" She asked with a knowing smirk and making no effort to move from her position on Regina's lap.

Regina subconsciously licked her lips, staring into the darkened eyes of the blonde. "Um, yeah. My headache is gone and I can definitely feel my magic again."

Emma tentatively reached for Regina's wrists, which were awkwardly hanging down next to the chair. She placed them back on her thighs and rested her own hands over them. "Good," she said, leaning in for another soft kiss and encouraging Regina's hands to gently slide along her legs. "I bet your magic is not the only thing you're feeling," she whispered seductively, trailing kissed along her jaw.

Regina chuckled softly, tilting her head back to give Emma more access as she let her hands explore the soft skin beneath her fingers. "No, it's definitely not."

Emma flicked her tongue along Regina's neck, gently using one of her hands to move the collar of Regina's gown out of the way. She frowned when she saw the bruises on her skin, along with some fresh red marks from Regina's earlier fight with Cora. "I cannot believe she did that to you. Does it still hurt?" She asked, sitting back and looking at Regina with concern.

"A little, but it is not so bad anymore. I have definitely dealt with worse."

"You shouldn't have to," Emma said, placing one more tender kiss to Regina's neck. "Oh, shit, it's almost time for the feast," she said, catching the time on the clock placed on the desk behind Regina. She suddenly stood up and readjusted her robe, realizing that her handmaid would be in shortly to help her get ready.

"The feast, right," Regina said flustered. She looked up at Emma, who had extended her hand out toward Regina. She graciously took it and allowed the blonde to help her up.

"Still dizzy?" Emma asked.

"Not from teleporting, no," she smiled, sneaking one more kiss from Emma before walking toward the door. "I will see you at the feast."

"Indeed. And, you know, if you want to teleport yourself here again later, I would not be opposed," Emma teased.

"I know."

* * *

 **A/N:** We are rapidly approaching the end. Depending on how long the next chapter ends up being, it could be the last (or I might need to split it into two). Thanks for joining the journey!


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N:** Sorry for the delay in posting this! I was procrastinating it because I don't want this fic to end, as this is the penultimate chapter. This starts with another time jump from where we left off in the previous chapter. I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

The carriage carrying the Northern Kingdom royal family arrived late in the afternoon twelve days later. King Henry, Queen Cora, and Princess Regina of the Western Kingdom stood outside their palace, patiently awaiting their visitors. At the victory feast in the Northern Kingdom on the evening of the second chess match, Rumplestiltskin had flipped a coin and determined that the final tie-breaking game of the tournament would be played in the Western Kingdom, much to Queen Snow's dismay. She still worried about magical interference, so she had slipped the last of her squid ink reserves into a small vial that she had hidden securely between her breasts to smuggle into the rival kingdom. She hoped she would not have to use it, but she did not trust Cora to keep the events aboveboard.

The white horses came to a stop at the end of the walkway leading to the large palace, and two footmen opened the doors of the carriage to present the visiting king, queen, and princess to their hosts. A second carriage arrived behind them carrying Rumplestiltskin, who was immediately whisked away to the confines of the dungeon. "Good evening, King Henry. Thank you for hosting us," King David said upon exiting the carriage.

"You are most welcome. We are happy to have you here," Henry replied.

Regina held her breath as she waited for Emma to emerge from the carriage and tried to hide the small smile that was forming on her lips when the blonde appeared. She had not seen her in nearly two weeks, and she had missed her terribly. "Princess Emma," Regina said, bowing her head slightly as was customary when greeting another noble on her own property.

"Princess Regina," Emma responded as she curtsied. "It is lovely to see you again." As she rose from her bowed stance, she caught Regina's eye and they felt their connected magic spark beneath their skin.

"Where is the pirate?" Cora asked, noticing that the traveling party was short one misfit.

"Former pirate," Snow corrected. "And unfortunately he had to stay behind. He was breaking up a tavern fight five nights ago and severely injured his hand. The doctor thinks he has acquired an infection, so he is unable to travel."

"Will he be okay?" Regina asked, concerned. She did not particularly care for the man slated by Queen Snow to court Emma, but he had been helpful by providing Emma with an alibi while she and Regina snuck off together during the festivities surrounding the second match. She certainly wished him no harm.

"The doctor thinks so. He just needs rest," David explained.

"Yes, he will be just fine. You need not worry," Snow added bitterly. Regina was confused by Snow's tone until she remembered she had spent the majority of the first match convincing Snow that she was interested in pursuing Killian.

"So who will be playing for the Northern Kingdom tomorrow?" Henry asked.

"Why, Emma of course," Snow said.

"WHAT?!" Emma and Regina both shouted simultaneously, looking at Snow before quickly glancing at each other in concern.

"Mother, why did you not tell me?" Emma asked.

"You did not know?" Regina asked.

"No. I had no idea."

"I did not tell you because I knew you would be nervous, sweetie. I did not want you to worry prematurely."

Cora felt her fists clench as she absorbed the news. This was the first time she had seen the blonde princess since they had left the Northern Kingdom weeks ago, and her own magic had been numbed then. Now that Cora was at full strength without squid ink interference, she could sense the blonde's magic, and it was powerful — more powerful than it should have been, given that it had only been awakened during the previous match. She did not like the feeling she got from the young noblewoman, and she could not trust her to play against Regina. The two young women were already too close for Cora's liking, and she needed to put an end to it.

"Excuse me," Cora said, interrupting whatever mindless pleasantries her husband and the opposing royal family were exchanging. "I have some business to attend to, but I will see you at supper."

Regina eyed her mother's retreating form with suspicion, but said nothing.

"Regina," Emma said, pulling Regina from her worries about her mother's behavior. "Would you be available to go riding this afternoon? I really enjoyed it when we were here last time."

Regina smiled. "Of course. I was hoping to take Rocinante out for a ride today anyway. I would be happy to have you join me, as long as your parents do not object," she looked to the visiting king and queen and they both nodded their consent, although she thought she saw a glint of something in Snow's expression. "Did you bring anything appropriate for riding or do you need to borrow something?"

Emma blushed. "If you do not mind, I would love to borrow some breeches."

"Of course. Come with me," Regina said, excusing themselves and heading into the palace and toward Regina's private wing. "Did you really want to go riding, or were you just looking for an excuse to get away from everyone?" Regina asked her as they walked down the hallway.

"Both. I would like to ride again, and I figured that would be a good opportunity for us to figure out what to do once this tournament is over."

Regina smiled sadly as she opened the door to her quarters and walked toward her dressing room, pulling out a pair of pants and a top for Emma to try on. She turned her back to give Emma some privacy as she tried on the items. "Have you come up with any ideas for what we should do about this magical soulmate thing?" Regina asked, trying to keep herself distracted from the fact that Emma was partially nude behind her.

"I have given it a lot of thought, but I have not come up with anything, no. You can turn around, Regina," Emma chuckled.

Regina did so and her breath caught in her throat as she saw Emma wearing a pair of khaki britches and one of her loose cotton white blouses. "Will you be comfortable riding in those? If not, I have other options."

"No, these are perfect. Thank you, Regina. I can wait outside while you get dressed," Emma said, making her way to the door.

"No need. I want to show you something," Regina said, surprising the blonde. Regina stood up straight and closed her eyes in concentration before quickly flicking her wrist. She was consumed by lilac smoke, and when the smoke cleared she was standing in an all-black riding outfit.

"Whoa!" Emma commented.

Regina smirked. "Right? Ever since our magic combined, I feel more in control of my power. I have spent most of my time reading my mother's old magic books, and I have learned a few tricks since I last saw you."

"I can see that. That was impressive."

"Thank you. Ready to go?"

"Almost. I need one more thing before we leave," Emma said.

"What?"

Emma walked over and kissed Regina. "That. Now I'm ready," she said, leaving the room and leaving a dazed and smiling Regina to follow behind her.

 ***.*.***

"Well, hello there, Cora. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Rumplestiltskin asked as he saw the queen approach his cell.

"I need a favor, Rumple."

He giggled. "I do not do favors, Cora. You know this. Now, if you want to make a deal, perhaps that can be arranged."

"What do you want?"

"Well, my freedom would be nice."

"We both know I cannot do that since I was not the one to bind you with the ink."

"Well then, I do not think there is much you can offer me. But, why don't you tell me what you want, and perhaps I will be able to come up with something," he said, licking his lips.

Cora rolled her eyes. "I cannot wait any longer. I need to eliminate the threat Emma poses to my family."

"And by your family, you mean you."

"Yes, but also Regina. Emma's magic is powerful, and now that it is no longer dormant, she cannot be trusted. Her power is growing much more rapidly than I ever anticipated."

"And how do you expect me to help you?"

"I need you to tell me a foolproof way of killing her…something that cannot be traced back to me."

He tapped his index finger on his lips and pretended to think. "Hmmm…" Technically, his deal with Emma stated that he could not come after the girls and do them any harm; however, that did not mean he could not tell someone else how to hurt them — his deals always had a loophole that would serve to benefit him. But, he also needed Emma alive, because he needed her to get the magic bean and his freedom that would allow him to find his son. "One problem, dearie."

"What?" Cora narrowed her eyes.

"See, I need the blonde princess alive. She and I have a deal in progress, and it is vital that she carries out her end of the arrangement."

"What deal did you make with her? What if I can offer you whatever it is she is promising?"

"I do not think you can, dearie. Part of the deal calls for her to release me, and you just said you cannot."

"I will find a way, even if I have to kill those two idiots myself."

"Oh, threatening violence against the entire royal family now? You must be desperate," he giggled. "But that was only part of our deal."

"What is the other part?"

"She is securing a magic bean for me."

Cora raised a curious eyebrow. "And what do you need with a magic bean?"

"To cross realms, of course."

"Oh yes. Your ill-fated quest to locate your son. It has been nearly a century, Rumple. It is a lost cause."

Cora's words cut into Rumple. "It is never too late to make something right, Cora. You would do well to remember that."

"Fine. If I agree to get you a bean and your freedom, will you help me take care of our little princess problem?"

"Deal," Rumple agreed, realizing that killing Emma and getting rid of the threat she posed to all dark magic users could only benefit him when he someday returned to this realm after finding his son. He failed to mention to Cora the side effect of killing Emma, namely the possible destruction of Regina. Because of their magical connection, upon Emma's death Regina's magic would all but disappear, weakening her to the point where she would be easy to defeat at a time of his choosing. Not to mention, Regina would likely become incapacitated due to her heartbreak, as Rumple could tell the two princesses were in love, even if they did not know it yet. In his mind, it was an all-around win-win situation for him. He was not about to tell Cora that killing Emma would guarantee her daughter's inevitable early death, because even though Cora craved power and wanted Emma gone, Rumple thought there might be one small thread of love for her daughter inside her heart. After all, even the Dark One still had love for his son, despite his own darkened soul.

"Deal," Cora confirmed. "So, how do I do it?"

"Well, there are a few options. My suggestion would be to call upon one of your magical cronies and have them attack Emma during the match while she is preoccupied with the game. Make sure whoever you call on is powerful and accurate, though, as you will have the element of surprise in your favor, but the battle likely will not last long once everyone realizes what is happening and others jump in to protect her. You need someone who can kill in one strike."

"Do you have any suggestions?"

"Really, Cora? Do not make me do all your work. You are better than this. How many sorcerers and sorceresses do you know? Someone must owe you a favor. Maybe you can buddy up to Maleficent again and have her come in dragon form. It would not be the most subtle entrance of course, but if you can place a cloaking spell on her, she might be able to be undetected until it's too late. It needs to be someone you trust implicitly, given that you and Regina will be on that stage with Emma. As will I. We would not want to be caught in the crossfire."

"You are immortal. Unless Maleficent wields your dagger, you will survive," Cora rolled her eyes.

"True, but I do not wish to be charred in the process, even if it will not kill me," Rumple pointed out. "Now, dearie. I think you have all you need from me. I look forward to seeing your work tomorrow, and do get started on that hunt for a bean and the plan for my freedom. You have three full moon cycles to complete your task, or you will suffer a fate worse than death."

Cora's eyes lit up at his statement, immediately knowing what she needed to do. "Thank you, Rumple. You have been most helpful."

 ***.*.***

"How have you been over the past dozen days?" Regina asked as she dismounted Rocinante, tying him to a post out in the fields on the far edge of the palace grounds. She found a shady tree and sat down under it, gesturing for Emma to do the same.

"Keeping busy. Mostly training Killian, though that was all for naught since he will not be playing," she replied as she sat down next to Regina, who immediately reached for Emma's hand and interlaced their fingers.

"Well, training him is great practice for you. I know I could beat Killian, but I am not sure I can win against you tomorrow."

"I hate that my mother is making me play."

"Those are the standard procedures, Emma. If a player cannot play, the second usually steps in."

"I know. I just wish they had told me. I had no idea Killian was not in our caravan until we arrived here," Emma said.

"Well, whatever happens tomorrow, it is just a game. No matter the outcome, we cannot let it affect us," Regina said, gently squeezing Emma's hand.

"Agreed…Anyway, can we not talk about chess?"

Regina laughed. "Of course."

"How have you been? Your mother has not hurt you, has she?" Emma asked, her concern evident in her face. If she was being honest, she spent most of the past twelve days worried about Regina, and specifically what wrath she would face when Cora had her magic back. She was relieved to find that the princess seemed to be unharmed upon their arrival, yet she also knew that Cora could easily use magic hide any injuries she may have caused. Appearances could be deceiving.

Regina shook her head, and Emma sighed in relief. "No, she has not, which is actually more terrifying."

"How so?" Emma asked.

"I am afraid that she is plotting something big…the fact that she sees disciplining me for my actions at your palace as a waste of time can only mean something much worse is on the horizon. I can feel it every time I am around her. I think she knows I can sense it, too, because she has been avoiding me," Regina explained.

"Maybe she is afraid of you after what happened at my palace?"

Regina shook her head again. "No, I don't think that's it. She knows my technique is still weak. The only reason I had an advantage in your kingdom was because my mother's magic was completely disabled. I am in no way ready to take her on when she has her full power. Not yet. I think she does not want me to figure out what she is up to. She stopped my magic lessons, too."

"What do you think she is planning?"

"I do not know, but I have a feeling it will harm one or both of us."

"Do you think she knows the extent of our power?"

"No. I think if she did she would have killed me already."

"You think your mother would actually murder you?" Emma asked in shock. She knew Cora was ruthless, but everything she did seemed to be to guarantee Regina a successful future on the throne. Killing her would defeat that purpose.

"Yes, especially now that she knows I can use light magic. She would not take the risk. I think she is going to find a way to go after you, thinking that if she does then eventually I will come back to her, and she can resume grooming me to be the sorceress she wants me to be. But, I am not going to let that happen."

* * *

Emma awoke in the middle of the night in a panic, feeling as though someone was watching her. "Who's there?" She asked as she sat up, looking around the room and willing her eyes to adjust to the darkness, the only light coming from the full moon casting a dim glow through the window.

The door to the servant's entrance to her room opened, and a young girl stepped inside. "Princess Emma, are you okay? I heard you calling."

Emma looked over to find a young girl, no more than twelve years of age, hesitantly approaching her with a small lantern in her hand to guide her way. "Yes, thank you. I am sorry I disturbed you. I thought I saw something, but it must have only been a dream," she said, lying back down on her bed.

"Perhaps you are right, Princess. Or perhaps you are very perceptive," the girl said.

Emma turned to question the girl's strange comment, but before she could she felt a hand on her elbow pinning her down, and a searing pain on her forearm. Emma screamed as she felt hot metal on her skin, burning into her flesh. As quickly as it began, it ceased.

"I am sorry, Princess," the girl said as she backed away.

On the opposite side of the hall, Cora grinned as she watched the scene unfold in the mirror hanging on the wall of her study. She knew the princess would scream, so she had placed a soundproofing spell on the room shortly after the visiting royal family retired for the evening. As she saw the young servant step back from the bed after completing her task, Cora disappeared in a cloud of red smoke and reappeared next to the servant beside Emma's bed. "Thank you, dear. Now run along. The hypnotic will wear off in ten minutes and you will have no memory of this," Cora said, dismissing the young girl.

"Cora, what did she do to me? What did you do to me?" Emma asked, her face twisting in a mixture of fear and rage.

"Worry not, dear, it will all be over soon," she said, inspecting the branded mark residing on the forearm of the princess. "And the beauty is you will have no recollection of tonight's events in the morning. Sleep well," Cora said, waving her hand until the blonde's eyes closed and performing an amnesia spell to erase the last twenty minutes from her memory.

 ***.*.***

The sunrise filtered in the bedroom window, causing Emma to slowly regain consciousness. As she opened her eyes, she felt a strange tingling sensation on her right forearm. When she looked down, she saw a large circular marking with a strange symbol inside of it. "What the hell?" She ran her fingers over it, feeling the etched symbol in her skin, a sense of dread and panic quickly overtaking her. She grabbed the robe that was draped over the end of her bed and put it on over her silk shift she had worn to bed. She then sprinted down the hall to Regina's quarters.

"Please, I need to see her," she told the guard who was standing outside the entrance to her chambers.

"I am sorry, Princess, but I cannot allow that. Princess Regina is still sleeping, and no one is allowed inside her quarters without prior authorization," the guard said.

"It is an emergency."

"There is nothing I can do. You will see her at breakfast. Now, return to your room or I will call on another knight to escort you."

Emma turned on her heel and stormed back toward the guest suite, but she was too nervous to go inside. She knew her parents were still sleeping, and she did not want to alarm them. She needed to know what happened before they found out, because this could escalate the war between the two families and put everyone in their kingdoms in danger. Instead, Emma opted for pacing the hall in front of the entrance to their chambers, biting on her thumbnail as she did so. She willed herself to come up with a plan, growing more anxious with every passing minute, and wishing more than anything that she could talk to Regina.

Suddenly, she felt a pull in her stomach and a wave a nausea hit her. She closed her eyes as she took a calming breath. When she reopened her eyes, she found herself standing next to Regina's bed, the brunette still sound asleep under the covers. Emma's eyes went wide in alarm, realizing that she had accidentally teleported herself, much in the same way as Regina had when she needed to get to safety during an argument with Cora back in Emma's palace. Emma felt lightheaded, and extended an arm to grab the bedpost, placing the other on the foot of the bed to help steady herself. As her dizziness subsided, she realized she wasn't resting her hand on the bed, but instead on Regina's foot under the blanket.

"Emma?" Regina asked in confusion as she opened her eyes. "What happened? Why are you here?"

"I'm sorry. I needed to see you and your guard would not let me in. I went back to my room, and the next thing I know I had teleported myself here."

Regina sat up, surprise written across her face. She saw Emma's eyes drop briefly, causing Regina to look down and realize she was only in a thin silk slip. She pulled her blankets up, suddenly self-conscious. "That is an advanced skill. Your magic has improved."

Emma tried to smile, but the fear was still evident in her features.

"Emma, what's wrong?"

The blonde took a tentative step closer to Regina and extended her arm, rolling up the sleeve of her robe to show her the branding. "This. I woke up with this on my arm, and I have no idea how it got there or what it is. It feels like someone is constantly stabbing me with needles."

Regina lightly ran her thumb across the mark, causing Emma to wince. "Sorry," she said as she closed her eyes, letting her hand hover over it. She concentrated and felt for any signs of her mother's magical signature, but she could not sense it. "I thought my mother might have done something to you, but I do not think this is her doing."

"What is it? What does it mean?"

"I have no idea, but I know someone who would," Regina said.

Emma nodded. "Rumplestiltskin."

* * *

 **A/N:** Just one more to go, guys! While I was procrastinating finishing this fic I started a new modern-day AU SQ story, so if you want to check it out you can find it on my profile page (it's called _Second Chances and Silver Linings_.) The final chapter of _Queen to Play_ will be up within the next 10 days, as it's already mostly written/fully outlined and just needs some final edits.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N:** Well, this is it! Sort of. You'll see. I hope you enjoy!

(And thanks to the guest reviewer who pointed out typo in the previous chapter. I fixed it :-) ).

* * *

The dungeon was particularly cold and damp when the young women arrived, and Regina tried not to take that as a sign for what was to come. When they approached Rumplestiltskin's cell after using magic to sneak past the guard, they found the short man sleeping on the floor of his cage.

"Wake up, Rumple," Regina said, forgoing any pleasantries as she banged a ring-clad finger on the bars of the cell.

"Well, good morning to you, too, dearie."

Emma rolled up her right sleeve and approached the cell bars, extending her forearm toward the man. "What does this mean?"

Rumple giggled, amused when he saw the marking. "What is this information worth to you, Princess?"

The blonde reached into her pocket and pulled out a small, glittery bean. "If you want this, you will tell me. It is really very simple."

"That bean was part of our other deal. You owe it to me," Rumple said, irritated that she was trying to play him.

"Perhaps, but the original deal said I had to get it within three moon's time. It has been less than one. I owe you nothing yet. A lot could happen to you between now and then. I could always sell this one to the highest bidder in the meantime," she explained. "But, if you tell me what this means, this will be yours at the end of the match today. You could have your freedom and ticket to your son by sundown."

Rumple contemplated the offering and decided to accept her terms. After all, Cora had not yet found a bean or a way to free him, while the princess was a sure bet. "That, my dear, is the sign of the wraith."

"The what?" Regina asked, stepping closer.

"The wraith. It is an interesting creature, and its primary reason for existing is to suck the soul of anyone who bears its mark, which, my dear Princess, seems to be you."

"What?" Emma asked, panicked. "How is that possible? Why me?"

"Well, it seems someone wants you out of the picture," Rumple grinned.

"Who did this?"

Rumple said nothing. "That information was not part of the deal."

Regina moved next to Emma and placed a hand on her lower back. "Who do you think did this, Emma? This has my mother written all over it."

Rumple giggled, running his finger across his mouth as if to say he would not confirm Regina's statement, although they all knew it was Cora.

"Forget who did it," Emma said. "How do we beat it?"

He giggled again. "That is the beauty of the person who did this deciding to summon a wraith to extinguish you. You cannot beat this. The wraith will not rest until it has the soul it was marked to take."

"Wait. Regina and I are soulmates," Emma started. "If the wraith is after me, does that mean it will also come after Regina?"

Rumple's eyes widened in surprise as he pondered that…he had not thought about it before. "To be honest, I am not quite sure," he giggled. "Since we always believed magical soulmates to be a myth, and the wraith is a rare creature, no one is quite sure what will happen in this scenario. When the wraith kills you, Regina will be weakened because of the magical bond you share. However, I do not know if her soul will be damned for all eternity as well. We will have to wait and see! Oh, this will be fun."

"No." Regina stepped forward, getting in Rumple's face as she reached through the bars and grabbed his linen shirt. "We have to find a way to stop this."

"It is impossible, dearie. Once the wraith has been summoned, it will not stop until it succeeds."

"What if I cut off my arm to get rid of the branding?" Emma asked, desperate for a solution.

"No. The marking is the physical manifestation of the wraith, but it is merely an outward sign. The mark connects with your blood and is constantly running through you, tying it to your soul. Cutting off the mark would not undo what has already been done."

"And we cannot cover up the branding somehow?" Regina asked. "Can I use my magic to hide it or cleanse her blood?"

"I am afraid not. Even masking it with magic would only hide it on the surface. The wraith will still find you."

"Okay, so we fight it. We kill the damn thing," Emma said.

"That is cute," Rumple chastised. "A wraith is already dead. It cannot die again. It can only be sent away by branding someone else."

"Then we do that," Regina said.

"No, Regina. We cannot give this fate to someone else," Emma said.

"Ugh, there is that pure light magic at work," Rumple rolled his eyes. "Doing the right thing always wins out over self-preservation with you people. I do not get it."

"We find a way to brand my mother. She is the one behind this. She deserves to pay for it," Regina said before turning to Rumple. "How do we brand someone? What do we need?"

"You need the wraith's medallion, its talisman."

"Where do we find that?"

"My educated guess would be somewhere in your mother's study, dearie. And we both know there is no way you are going to be able to get to it, at least not in time. I am sure she has it protected by magic."

Regina sighed. "I know. But I refuse to accept this fate. What if we run away?"

"It will find you, eventually. Even if you cross realms, the wraith will follow…"

"When will this happen?" Emma asked quietly, resigned.

"Has the mark started burning yet?" Rumple asked. Emma nodded slowly. "Then sooner rather than later. The wraith must be summoned for it to know a soul has been marked for the taking. Once the mark starts to tingle and burn, the summoning has begun. Usually it is only a matter hours before it arrives…perhaps a day at most."

"No. That's not enough time," Regina said in frustration as she looked toward Emma. A tear fell down Emma's cheek as she accepted her fate. Regina saw it and walked over to her, brushing away the teardrop and kissing the spot that was still damp. "We will find a way, Emma. I am not giving up…Rumple, is there anything else you know about this thing, about how to defeat it or turn it on someone else without the medallion? I will make any deal you want if you can stop this from happening."

He almost felt bad for the girls as he answered her question, but he had to give Cora due respect for choosing a wraith to do her dirty work. "I do not. I will think about it, and if I come up with anything, I will let you know at the match later today."

"The chess game… I forgot all about that," Regina said.

"Right," Emma replied. "Regina, can we go now? If this is my last day among the living, I do not want to spend it in a dark dungeon."

Regina nodded slowly and took Emma's hand, before asking Rumple one last question. "Rumple, why did my mother do this? You owe me that much."

He conceded. "She offered me my freedom and a bean — the same deal I made with Emma — if I would help her destroy Emma in a way that would not be traced back to her. She could sense the princess' magic had become much more powerful than she expected, and she was fearful."

"But your deal with me said that you could not come after us…you cannot harm us," Emma said, feeling betrayed.

"And I held up my end of the deal, dearie. I am not the one who called upon the wraith to attack you."

"Semantics," Emma complained.

"Perhaps, but nonetheless, I did not break our deal. For what it is worth, I just suggested that she call on a magical creature. I thought there would at least be a fair fight. I did not know Cora had the wraith's medallion in her possession."

"Would you have done anything differently had you known?" Regina asked.

Rumple shook his head. "Probably not."

Regina nodded before leading Emma out of the dungeon. They were both silent as they climbed the stairs and walked toward Regina's wing, dejected. "You are not going to die today," Regina told Emma, hoping that if she said it enough and believed it to be true then maybe it would be.

Emma smiled sadly as they stopped outside Regina's door. "We both know that is not the case, but thank you for saying it."

They entered Regina's quarters and the brunette immediately headed to her bar, pouring two glasses of scotch. They both drank in silence, feeling so defeated.

"Regina?" Emma asked, sensing the surge of their combined magic beneath her skin. She could sense Regina's restlessness, and it was causing her own impending sense of doom to worsen.

"Yes?"

Emma walked over to Regina and pulled the woman toward her, spinning her until she had her pressed against the door to her bedchamber as she kissed her deeply. Regina immediately understood what Emma was silently asking, so she maneuvered her hand until she found the handle on the door. She turned it, and they fell backward as the door to her bedchambers swung open. Regina managed to keep them upright without breaking the kiss, and she kicked the door shut behind her as she led Emma toward the bed in the center of the room.

"Say it again," Emma demanded, a stray tear falling down her cheek and landing on their connected lips as she sat down on the bedspread.

"You are not going to die today."

 ***.*.***

"I wish we could stay like this forever," Emma said as she rested with her head on Regina's breast. They had skipped both the planned communal breakfast and lunch and stayed in Regina's bed instead. Regina used magic to conjure them a small meal, though neither woman had much of an appetite.

"Me too," Regina nodded, another silent tear falling down her cheek. She managed to wipe it away before Emma could notice.

"Can we skip the chess match and just wait here for the wraith?" She asked, placing a kiss on Regina's chest before lifting her head to look at the woman above her. "I can think of no place I would rather be than in your arms."

"I would love nothing more than to do that," Regina said, placing a finger under Emma's chin so she could kiss her. "But we both know we have to go through with the match."

"I know. How much more time do we have before we need to be heading to the courtyard?"

Regina sighed and looked at the old clock on her bedside table. "Less than an hour."

Emma nodded and swallowed thickly. "Oh. I thought we would have more time than that."

Regina's heart broke for the woman, but also for herself. She felt incredibly selfish, but she did not know how she would survive after Emma was gone. She did not care about the potential loss of her magic, as she had barely learned to wield it yet. She would learn to live without it, but she knew she would never learn to live without Emma...that is, if she didn't die as a result of the wraith, too. She ran her fingers through Emma's hair, playing with the long waves. "We should make the most of it," Regina finally said, rolling on top of Emma as she kissed her, gently tugging at her bottom lip. She opened her eyes and connected with the green ones staring back at her, lifting her hand to tuck Emma's hair behind her ears. "Emma, I —"

"I know. I do, too," Emma said, not letting Regina finish her sentence before she captured her lips in hers. She knew how Regina felt about her, because she felt the same way, but she did not want either of them to make declarations fueled by the fear of what was to come. She did not want to be reminded of her destiny that would be coming for her later that evening. Instead, she just wanted to enjoy the present moment.

 ***.*.***

Emma and Regina had reluctantly gone their separate ways so they could get ready to attend the chess match, with the promise to spend the rest of the day together afterward until the time when Emma's destiny came to collect her. Regina felt like she was marching in a funeral procession as she walked alongside her mother toward the courtyard where the match would be held. She had never felt so much anger and hatred for anyone in her life as she felt for her mother at that time. "I know what you did, Mother," she said through gritted teeth. "And I will never forgive you."

Cora was surprised that her daughter knew, but she did not bother to deny it. "I did what is best for you, Regina, and for the future of the kingdom. You do not understand the dangers that would lie ahead otherwise. One day, you will see that."

Regina turned her head toward her mother as she continued the slow walk toward the center of the courtyard. "Well, I hope you are happy. But what you do not understand is that by destroying Emma, you are destroying me as well."

"You will get over it, Regina," her mother said callously.

"No, I will not, Mother. You taught me that all magic comes with a price and that the Dark One is never to be trusted. Well, you are forcing me to pay the price of your deal. What Rumplestiltskin neglected to tell you is that Emma and I are magical soulmates, so her demise guarantees mine as well."

Cora looked up at her daughter, a moment of shock registering on her face before she quickly neutralized her expression. "Do not be silly, Regina. That is not possible…magical soulmates are just a myth. He is lying to you."

"No, he is not. He, too, thought it was a myth, but he confirmed it, and he was as surprised as anyone could be. We even tested it. Emma and I cannot harm each other with our magic, and that is why I can use her light magic now. But, because you have sentenced her to death, my magic will be stripped from me, leaving me weaker than I was before I learned to use it. That is, if your wraith friend does not also kill me. Since Emma and I are bound by our magic, which is bound to our souls, who knows what the destruction of her soul will do to mine." Regina heard her mother take a deep, audible breath. Clearly, she was not happy about Rumple's omission of vital information. "So, now I will ask you: How do we stop this thing? Rumple said it cannot be done unless we turn it on someone else."

"Rumple is right. There is no way to stop it once it has started its mission, without changing its ultimate target."

"Where is the medallion?"

"Hidden and protected. I am not stupid, Regina. I am not going to leave it where anyone can get their hands on it."

"How did you get it?"

"I have had it for years. Maleficent had it and I gave her something she desperately wanted in exchange."

"And you cannot call it off since you were the one to summon it?"

"No. It does not work like that. There is nothing to be done once it has started."

"When will it happen?" Regina asked, hoping her mother could at least give her a more accurate answer than Rumple had.

"I do not know for sure. Soon. It was supposed to happen by the end of the match."

Regina sighed as a tear rolled down her cheek. She did not bother to brush it away. "Then I will say this, Mother, and listen closely because it will be the last thing I ever say to you. If I somehow survive this, I will make it my life's mission to make your life a living hell. I will stop at nothing to destroy you and everything you have ever created, including myself. I will not stop until you are left with nothing."

Regina turned to the stage and climbed the steps, taking her place at the board and ignoring her mother's presence beside her. She did not see why they were going to bother going through the charade of the match. She looked across the board to the blonde princess with whom she had fallen in love and smiled sadly as she realized that one way or another, their time together was about to be over. Regina silently prayed that she, too, would be taken by the wraith, because as dramatic as the thought may be, she could not stand to live in a world where Emma did not exist. She turned to look at Rumple, who was standing in his designated spot as the arbiter, before turning to the spectators to see them slowly filing in and filling the seats in the audience. "Any final suggestions?" Regina asked him, trying not to get her hopes up.

He shook his head as he looked between Emma and Regina. "I am afraid not, dearies." Regina was surprised to see there was no joy behind his words. He seemed to feel badly about his role in the events.

"Thank you, anyway," Emma said. Although he had done nothing but bring bad news, he had been honest, which allowed her to spend her final morning with Regina rather than mindlessly going about her day in blind ignorance. She then turned to him and whispered: "I will still uphold my end of the deal. I will give you the bean before I make my final move, and you can use it while you are out here, if you are quick enough to do so before the guards can catch you. Even though your magic is bound by the squid ink, it should not prevent you from traveling through the portal since the bean's magic will take care of it. I wish you luck in finding your son."

He bowed his head in deference before he addressed the crowd and announced the start of the final match, explaining that the winner of this game would win the entire tournament and the Avonlea land. As the winner of the previous match, the Northern Kingdom had the opportunity to select who would go first. Emma selected black and waited for Regina to make her opening move.

Regina could not have cared less about outcome of the game, especially now that she knew her mother had summoned the wraith to attack at the end of the match, so she moved her queen's knight forward. She and Emma had agreed to try to end the game as quickly as possible so that they could spend more time together before the wraith came. There was no point in pretending to play a challenging game, as the stakes no longer mattered to either player. Regina glanced over to the audience during Emma's turn, noting that both her father and King David wore expressions of confusion as they watched the game, noticing that each player seemed to make the worst possible move and hardly spent any time thinking before taking her turn.

Only ten minutes into the game, both Regina and Emma had lost most of their pawns and a few valuable pieces, more or less mindlessly shuffling whatever piece they happened to grab around the board. "Check," Emma said, moving her queen across the board until it was right in front of Regina's king.

In any other game, it would have been a foolish move, as Regina easily captured it with the bishop still residing next to her king. They had determined that forfeiting the queen was the signal that it was time to end the game, and whoever did so would ultimately lose the match. From that point on, they worked together to set up Regina's endgame so she could win and bring the match to a close.

Just as Regina moved her rook into a place where it could back up her queen for an attack, they heard a horrifying shriek from above the walls surrounding the palace. The wind picked up, gusting hard enough to blow the marble chess pieces off the board, and the sun seemed to vanish as darkness began to surround them, even though it was barely after the noon hour. "No," Regina cried, looking up at Emma. "Not yet."

The two kings and Queen Snow jumped up from their positions in the front row of the audience and rushed the stage, while the spectators ducked under their chairs to take cover. "What is happening?" Snow asked, alarmed as she stood by her daughter's side.

"The wraith is coming," Emma said, closing her eyes and tilting her head toward the sky in surrender.

"The what?" David asked.

"The wraith. A soul-sucker. My mother summoned it to kill Emma," Regina explained, reaching out and taking the blonde's hand as she glanced back at Cora, who stood with a blank expression on her face as she watched the events unfold around her.

"She did what?" Snow asked, drawing David's sword from its sheath on his hip and holding it to the other queen's throat. "Call it off."

"Stop being so dramatic, Snow," Cora waved her hand and the sword disintegrated into nothing. "And there is nothing that can be done to stop it."

"No…" Snow said, looking at her daughter. "This cannot be true."

"It is, Mother," Emma said, pushing up the sleeve of her gown to reveal the marking, just as another horrendous shriek filled the air. The embossed marking had illuminated, turning a deep maroon in color and visibly pulsating with every beat of Emma's heart.

Snow and David rushed toward their daughter, forcing her to let go of Regina's hand. The brunette princess stumbled backward, only to be caught by Rumplestiltskin who was still behind her. "Emma—" Regina called out, trying to push her way back toward the woman.

"Regina," Emma said, pushing her parents away and ignoring their sobs of protest as she reached out her hand for Regina to take.

The brunette princess took her hand and pulled Emma toward her until she was wrapped in her arms, both women crying as they heard the noise again, the sound coming from a much closer position than it had before. Regina lifted her head from Emma's shoulder and gazed through blurry eyes into Emma's, before surging forward and capturing her lips in a kiss. "I love you, Emma. I am so sorry I could not save you," she said as they broke apart, foreheads resting together as they continued to cry.

"I love you, too, Regina. You have no reason to be sorry," Emma said, pulling Regina into her once more. "Just kiss me again."

The two women were too lost in each other to see Emma's parents and Regina's father gasp at what they had just witnessed. Henry knew Regina and Emma had become friends, but he had no idea about the extent of their relationship, and it seemed the Northern Kingdom monarchs had not, either.

"It is time, dearies," they heard Rumple's voice say. They looked over to him and he was glancing toward the sky as a giant beast approached, nearly invisible against the black sky aside from its beady red eyes and the slight purple hue of its robes.

"Regina, you need to let go of me," Emma said as she tried to pull her hand back from Regina's.

"No, I am not leaving you, Emma," she said, tightening the grip on her hand.

"You have to. It might come after you anyway, but I am not going to make it any easier for it to get to you. You have to let me go."

"No. Never," Regina said, ignoring Emma's objections as she attacked Emma's lips with her own for one last time. When they broke apart, they saw their parents, save for Cora, with their weapons drawn, circled around the women, attempting to fight the beast off to no avail.

Emma reached into her pocket and pulled out the magic bean, handing it to Rumplestiltskin. "As promised. Good luck," she said, giving him a nod. With everyone distracted by the wraith, he could easily slip away and escape through the portal before anyone would notice.

"Thank you. And I am sorry," he said as he took the bean from her and stepped back.

Emma looked up at the sky, as the wraith approached, its arms out and sending its magic toward the blonde, preparing to capture its prize.

Regina felt a movement as the wraith attacked Emma, realizing that the jerking motion she felt was Emma's hand being forced away from her own. She collapsed to the ground, her purple gown pooling around her, screaming the blonde's name as the rest of the crowd watched in horror as the wraith's blue light connected with Emma's chest, ripping her essence from her body.

* * *

 **A/N:** So this isn't exactly the end. This is the near-end. There are like 3-4 paragraphs/one scene left, so please don't hate me for stopping it here!

Basically, I had an ending written but then decided that I also had two other ideas, which then turned into three other ideas. Then I couldn't make up my mind as to which one I should go with. One is probably super obvious, while the others are less so. So, over the next few days (if life doesn't interfere, otherwise over the next week at most), I will post all four endings as alternate ending 1, 2, 3, and 4. You can pick one at random to read and think of that as the ending, or read all four and let me know which one you like the most. Think of it as a "choose your own adventure" option. (Yes, I realize that it's kind of a cop out way to end a fic, but I really couldn't decide because I don't want this fic to end, so I just kept going haha).

Regardless, thank you so much for reading my first foray into the world of a non-AU story/writing anything with magic. I have to give major props to the other writers on here who do it all the time and do it so well...it's much harder than I expected. I have one more magical SQ fic idea I'd like to write, but it will take some fleshing out to do it justice. So, in the meantime if you like modern-day AU fics, feel free to follow along with my other stories on here if you'd like.


	14. Ending Option One

**A/N:** As promised, here is the first possible ending. The other three alternative endings will be posted over the next few days, as soon as I finish revising/editing them. Read one of your choosing, or read all four and let me know which one you like best :) . Each one will open with the last few paragraphs of chapter 13 (in italics) to help refresh your memory of where we left off.

* * *

 **ENDING ONE**

 _Emma reached into her pocket and pulled out the magic bean, handing it to Rumplestiltskin. "As promised. Good luck," she said, giving him a nod. With everyone distracted by the wraith, he could easily slip away and escape through the portal before anyone would notice._

 _"_ _Thank you. And I am sorry," he said as he took the bean from her and stepped back._

 _Emma looked up at the sky, as the wraith approached, its arms out and sending its magic toward the blonde, preparing to capture its prize._

 _Regina felt a movement as the wraith attacked Emma, realizing that the jerking motion she felt was Emma's hand being forced away from her own. She collapsed to the ground, screaming the blonde's name as the rest of the crowd watched in horror as the wraith's blue light connected with Emma's chest, ripping her essence from her body._

As the royal families looked on in horror as the wraith slowly drained the life from Emma, Rumple carefully turned the bean over in his hand. He tossed the magic bean off the stage, creating a portal behind them that would take him to a new realm, one where he could find his long-lost son.

It was then that he had an idea. He knew he had to travel to a land without magic to find his boy. The wraith was a magical creature, and therefore could not survive a trip to the land. He realized that if he could pull Emma into the portal, the wraith would not be able to cross into that realm and would cease to exist as they crossed through it.

With the last shred of humanity that remained in his darkened soul, fueled only by his love for his son, Rumple decided he would try to save the princess, who was rapidly losing strength as the wraith took what now belonged to it. The brunette princess was still crumpled on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably as she watched her soulmate begin to disintegrate next to her. Before anyone could stop him, Rumple grabbed Emma and Regina by the back of their gowns and pulled them toward the portal, dragging along the wraith that was still magically attached to Emma.

"Hold on, dearies," he said as he fell backward into the portal, leaving little time for a stunned Regina and a barely-conscious Emma to brace themselves for what was to come.

* * *

"Ugh, my head," Regina moaned as she rolled onto her side and opened her eyes. She felt soft grass below her hands and the sun blinded her as she got her bearings. She slowly sat up and panicked as she took in the scene around her. Dozens of people dressed in a strange red uniform were scattered around her, strange wooden swords discarded next to them and blood staining their clothing. Her memory was hazy. The last thing she remembered was watching the wraith unleash its attack on Emma as she cried helplessly. Did the wraith kill her, too? Was she in the underworld?

She shrunk back down, not wanting to draw attention to herself as she took in the corpses around her — at least not until she had a plan and knew what she was up against. She continued to look around the field, noting a glint of blonde hair and the gown she recognized as the one Emma wore at the match. "Emma," she exhaled in hope. If the blonde was there, perhaps she was awake as well, and they could be united in this afterlife. She crawled her way over to the woman, careful not to disturb any of the men lying in the field. "Emma," she smiled when she saw the blonde stir slightly, lolling her head from side to side as she regained consciousness.

"Regina?" Emma asked, opening her eyes and then quickly shielding them with her hands to keep out the light. "What happened? Where are we?"

The brunette lightly ran her hands down Emma's arms, sighing in relief that she was okay. "I…I don't know, exactly. It looks like there was some sort of massacre. We need to get out of here," she said. "Can you sit up? Stay low to the ground."

Emma nodded as she pressed herself into a seated position, then moved onto her hands and knees as she followed Regina, crawling across the grass. "Where are we going?"

"Let's take cover behind those trees over there, and then we can figure it out," Regina suggested.

They scurried to the edge of the field, relaxing as they sat against a tree, hiding from view. "What is this place?" Emma asked, hearing strange noises in the distance. It was nothing like she had ever heard before — a constant hum.

"I have no idea. I thought it was the afterlife, but this is not at all like I imagined."

Emma shook her head. "Me, either. But at least we're together," she said, taking Regina's hand in hers.

"That you are, dearies," they heard a voice from behind them and turned around in shock. He was still dressed in the linen and leather clothing he was wearing as the match arbiter, but his skin had completely lost its golden shine. He looked purely human.

"Rumple, what are you doing here?" Regina asked, alarmed. She tried to form a fireball in her hand to protect herself and Emma from him, but she couldn't feel her magic. "Work, damn you," she muttered under her breath.

"That will not help you, Princess," he chastised. "Welcome to the Land Without Magic."

"The what?" Emma asked in confusion.

Rumple walked closer to the girls, contemplating sitting down to join them, but thought better of it. He may not be the Dark One in this world, but he still had more self-respect than to sit on the dirty ground. "The Land Without Magic," he said again. "You gave me the bean to find my son, and this is where he is."

"So, we are really in a different realm?" Regina asked.

"Indeed you are."

"But how? Why am I not dead?" Emma asked. "Or am I?"

Rumple rolled his eyes. "Do you feel dead, dearie? Of course you are still alive. During your battle with the hellbeast I managed to open the portal with the bean you gave me. I pulled you both through it with me, knowing that might be the only way to defeat it."

"What?" Emma asked, still stunned.

"You are welcome, by the way," Rumple deadpanned. "The wraith followed us through the portal since it was still connected to you, but it was vanquished during the journey as soon as it made contact with this non-magical world. As a purely magical being, it could not exist here."

"So it is gone forever?" Regina asked. "It can never hurt anyone again?"

Rumple shook his head. "Not that wraith, no. There might be others…other medallions attached to other wraiths, but the one your mother still has in her possession is now entirely useless."

"I see. So, where exactly are we? What is this place? And why are we surrounded by piles of deceased people?" Emma asked.

"From what I have gathered from my preliminary lap around the perimeter, we are in a park of some sort in a place called 'New York City.'"

"Wait, you had time to take a lap around this park, but you didn't look for us? Were you going to leave us here?" Regina asked, annoyed.

"I already saved your lives once today. I owe you nothing. If I want to leave you to fend for yourselves and rot, that is my prerogative," Rumple stated. "But, no. You were not anywhere near me when I awoke in this place, so I went exploring."

"Are we safe here?" Regina asked, gesturing to the mass casualties surrounding them. "Do we need to protect ourselves from whoever did all this?"

Rumple giggled. "No, dearie. If you walk up a little farther that way, you will find a large audience of perfectly uninjured people. Apparently this is some sort of war reenactment the villagers here do to entertain themselves. Today is some holiday where they celebrate their freedom from an evil King, so they put on a show to commemorate the war they won."

Regina crinkled her brow in confusion. "How odd."

"Yes. I do not understand it. But, now that you two are awake and alive, I could use your help locating my son."

"And what makes you think we will help you?" Emma asked.

"Well, I did save your life today, and I brought your little girlfriend with you. Plus, somehow I do not think two princesses from another realm would do well on their own without any knowledge of this world."

Emma looked at Regina, who shrugged. "He has a point."

"Okay, fine. Let's go find your son."

 **END**

* * *

 **A/N:** So, Rumple has some good in him after all...or he just realized he needed the extra help to locate Baelfire. After all, two attractive 20-something young women might be more successful at locating and approaching a guy than a creepy old dude would be :P

If you're not a fan of this ending, there are three more possibilities headed your way soon. Ending two should be ready to post tomorrow or Saturday. I'm not going to reveal which was the original ending until I've posted all four :)


	15. Ending Option Two

**A/N:** Happy OUAT DAY! And here is ending option two...much different than option one. (Reminder: italics are a refresher from the end of chapter 13). Still two more options to go after this one :) Option three will be up sometime this weekend.

* * *

ENDING TWO

Emma _reached into her pocket and pulled out the magic bean, handing it to Rumplestiltskin. "As promised. Good luck," she said, giving him a nod. With everyone distracted by the wraith, he could easily slip away and escape through the portal before anyone would notice._

 _"_ _Thank you. And I am sorry," he said as he took the bean from her and stepped back._

 _Emma looked up at the sky, as the wraith approached, its arms out and sending its magic toward the blonde, preparing to capture its prize._

 _Regina felt a movement as the wraith attacked Emma, realizing that the jerking motion she felt was Emma's hand being forced away from her own. She collapsed to the ground, screaming the blonde's name as the rest of the crowd watched in horror as the wraith's blue light connected with Emma's chest, ripping her essence from her body._

As the color drained from Emma's face and the blonde sat crumpled on the ground as the wraith continued to remove Emma's soul, Cora hid her smirk, relieved that the looming threat to her kingdom and her daughter's future power was quickly vanishing before her eyes. She did not care if it initially weakened her daughter — if the magical soulmates myth was even true — because she would train Regina harder until she was ready to take the throne, and she was confident that Regina would come out stronger for it in the end. Love was weakness, and with the blonde gone, Regina's resilience would make her come out on top.

However, as Cora's eyes glanced down at her daughter, the callous smile on her face dropped away. Regina's sobs had quieted, and she had rolled onto her side. Her skin was pale, and her eyes, though open, were unfocused and lacking recognition. King Henry ran to his daughter when he saw her state, shaking her gently and calling her name as her eyes rolled back in her head. Her breathing was shallow and although she tried to talk, she could not seem to form words.

"What is wrong with her?" Henry asked, frantically. He knew nothing of the magical connection binding the two princesses to one another.

Regina's hand rested on Emma's forearm on the ground, and Cora saw the lilac signature of Regina's magic being transferred from Regina's hand into Emma's body, and then into the wraith. "Pull her away from Emma," Cora demanded, thinking the physical connection between the two women was allowing the wraith to attack Regina through Emma, or that Regina was exhausting herself during some pathetic attempt to heal Emma. "Emma is draining her," she seethed.

Henry did as Cora requested and easily rolled Regina over so that she and Emma were no longer touching. Regina's arm fell limply to her side, but her magic continued to be pulled from her body and toward the blonde, despite the several feet separating them. Cora then knew that Rumple had not been lying to the girls, or about the existence of magical soulmates. Although Emma had been marked, their connection meant that Regina's soul would also pay the price.

Cora had to act quickly, as the wraith had almost completed its task. Destroying Emma would have been in vain if Regina was not alive to become queen of the kingdom, as Cora was only trying to protect Regina from the threat Emma's magic would pose to her and her reign. Cora quickly disappeared in a cloud of crimson smoke, only to return moments later after retrieving the medallion from its hiding spot in her private study.

She looked down at the circular object that she held carefully in her hand so she would not accidentally brand herself. In her peripheral vision, she watched as Rumple threw something off the stage. Cora's eyes went wide when she saw the swirling vortex appear. _A portal_ , she thought to herself. _He somehow got his hands on a magic bean._ Before he could jump, Cora quickly magically transported herself so that she stood between him and the portal.

"Out of my way, dearie," he said, pushing her aside.

She caught his arm and gripped it tightly. "Not so fast, Rumple." She brought her other hand out from behind her back, quickly branding his open palm with the mark of the wraith. Immediately, the wraith stopped its assault on the princesses and turned its focus toward the Dark One. "Enjoy, dearie," Cora mocked as she took a step back.

Rumple's eyes widened in fear as he saw the wraith extend its arms toward him, prepared to consume its new target. Despite being the Dark One, who could only be killed by his own dagger, the wraith could still condemn his soul to eternal damnation, leaving a shell of his former self to wander the world until the dagger finally ended his existence. Rumple quickly jumped into the portal, focusing his thoughts on the Land Without Magic.

Cora watched as the portal closed just before the wraith could follow. Immediately, the wraith flew off the premises, causing one final gust of wind to blow through the kingdom as it exited. She turned her attention back to the stage, noticing her husband fawning over Regina, while Snow and David were crying over Emma's form. She approached her daughter slowly, relieved to see the color returning to her features and her shallow breaths being replaced by its usual rhythm.

Moments later, Regina blinked her eyes open. "What happened?" She asked groggily, looking at her father.

"That thing nearly killed you," he said, sending an angry glare toward his wife.

Regina allowed herself to process her father's statement as her memory began to clear. "Oh my God, Emma!" she said, scrambling toward the blonde princess who was still unconscious on the ground. When she saw the look of defeat and grief on the faces of Emma's parents, she panicked. "No, no, no, no, no," she cried as she pushed herself the rest of the way until she was kneeling behind the blonde's back. "No, Emma. Come back to me," she cried, bending down to place a gentle kiss on her lips. When nothing happened, Regina collapsed on top of her, resting her head on the blonde's chest as she sobbed. It was then that she felt the subtle rise and fall of the woman's chest beneath her. She lifted her head and rested her palm over Emma's chest, sighing in relief when she felt a faint heartbeat. "She's alive," she sighed in relief.

She heard Snow and David let out a breath and a cry, relieved that there might still be hope for their daughter. "We should take her to see the royal physician at once," Henry said, looking at the girl's worried parents. He walked over and gently eased Regina off the princess as David scooped his daughter up in his arms. "Follow me, and I'll take you to see Dr. Viktor," the Western Kingdom king said, helping to support his own weakened daughter as they exited the stage. He walked past his wife without saying a word, but sent her a look that silently told her she better not follow.

"Wait," Regina said, stopping. "You go ahead. I need to talk to Mother," she told her father.

"Regina…"

"No, Daddy, I need to do this," she quietly whispered to him. "I will be fine and I will not be long. I just need a few more answers so I can then focus entirely on Emma."

"Okay," he said, lightly squeezing her elbow in support before he walked away to lead their guests to the infirmary.

Regina turned Cora, who oddly had an expressionless look on her face and was still looking around at the stage where all the chaos had unfolded. "Mother," she said, getting the older brunette to look at her.

"Yes, dear?" Cora said, innocently.

Regina cut straight to her remaining question. "What became of the wraith?" she asked. The princess had been so weakened by the wraith's assault that she had missed her mother's actions.

"When I saw what it was doing to you, I used the medallion to mark Rumplestiltskin. He escaped through a portal… I'm guessing to the Land Without Magic to go find his son. The portal closed before the wraith could enter it, so it flew off."

"I thought crossing realms would not defeat it? That is what Rumple told us."

Cora shook her head. "Ordinarily, that is true. But, if Rumple truly went to the Land Without Magic, the wraith will be unable to reach him because it could not survive in that realm. It needs magic to keep its existence."

"Will it come back for Emma?"

"No. Rumple is its new target, so it will not go after its previous marks. It will be left crossing the other realms for eternity in search of its prey. I would venture a guess that Emma's branding has already all but disappeared. It will be gone within a day at most."

"So does this mean that Rumple can never return to this realm, because the wraith will find him if he crosses back?"

"Yes. The dark One can never return to a magical realm without the wraith finding him."

"Where is the medallion now?" Regina asked.

Cora carefully took it out of her dress pocket where she had stowed it in its cloth bag.

"Destroy it," Regina demanded.

"What?" Cora looked surprised.

"Destroy it. You and Rumple both said that if you brand someone else it will change its target. Right now it is after Rumple, but what is to say that you will not attempt to brand Emma again in the future and change its intended mark yet again?"

"Regina, it became clear that Rumple was telling the truth about your soul's connection to Emma via magic. I branded him because it was killing you. Now that I have seen what killing the blonde princess would do to you, she is safe from my interference."

Regina shook her head. "That is not good enough for me. What is to stop you from branding someone else? You need to destroy it now. The Dark One is gone, but if someone else is marked, he will be able to return. Destroy it. Now. In my presence."

Cora hesitated, but decided to acquiesce. She placed the medallion on the ground, quietly chanting an incantation before incinerating the metal talisman until it was a pile of ash. "Would you like to take care of the remains yourself?" she asked, sensing that if she disposed of them her daughter would not trust her not to try to reconstruct it later.

"Yes," Regina nodded. She closed her eyes and concentrated, summoning a small box into her hand. She set it on the ground next to her and magically transferred the ashes to the box. Although the medallion was destroyed, she was still hesitant to touch it. She planned to empty it over the course of the next few days in various fireplaces throughout the palace, guaranteeing that it would never be able to be reassembled.

"You have improved," Cora smiled sadly, noting that Regina's magic skill had increased since she stopped giving her daughter lessons. "Your control is better."

"It is. And I am hardly at my full strength since I am still weak from the earlier attack. Just wait until you see what I am capable of when Emma and I are both at our full power," Regina said in warning, picking up the box, magically sealing it, and stowing it away in the pocket of her gown.

"I am proud of you, Regina," Cora said, genuinely impressed at her daughter's technique.

"We are done here," Regina said, turning away from her mother and heading to see her girlfriend. While Regina was grateful that her mother found a way to spare Emma's life, she knew her intentions were not out of empathy or even guilt, but only due to her own selfishness. As far as Regina was concerned, her relationship with Cora was effectively over.

She hurried down the hallway toward the room where she knew she would find Emma, hoping that the physician would be able to help her. She did not bother knocking on the door and rushed in, running over to the small bed where Emma was lying. Regina saw Snow and David sitting next to the bed, holding their daughter's hand as her father spoke with Dr. Viktor. Regina approached the bed cautiously, walking to the side opposite the royal family. "How is she?"

"She woke up briefly, but she's unconscious again. The doctor said she needs time to rest to see if there will be any permanent effects from the wraith," David explained.

"I see," Regina said, worrying her lip as she looked at her soulmate, lying helplessly on the bed. She hesitated briefly, but she could not take it any longer. At that point, there was no sense in hiding the extent of their relationship. She slipped off her shoes and carefully climbed onto the bed, wrapping an arm around the blonde's stomach and as she cuddled next to Emma. If Emma's parents objected to her actions, they did not voice it. "Please be okay, Emma. I cannot live without you," Regina said before kissing her temple softly and resting her head back against the pillow.

Regina, too, was exhausted from everything that had happened that day. She knew it was not even time for supper, yet she felt like it had been days since they found out their fate that morning in the dungeon. She allowed her own eyes to close, knowing that she also needed to rest.

Moments later — or perhaps it was longer, as she had fallen asleep — Regina felt a slight movement next to her, causing the brunette to open her eyes. She looked up and saw emerald green eyes staring back at her. "Hey sleepyhead," the blonde said, smiling slightly.

"Emma!" Regina sat up and really looked at the woman next to her, making sure she was okay. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired," she said, yawning on cue.

Regina smiled. "You are alive."

"So are you," Emma smiled back, taking Regina's hand in her own.

"I am," she said, bending down to properly kiss the princess. "I love you," she whispered as she pulled back.

"I love you, too."


	16. Ending Option Three

**A/N:** Happy Halloween! Here's the third possible ending for you. (This one starts the same as ending one, but takes a different turn, so the first few paragraphs of the non-italicized text will look familiar if you read "option one").

* * *

ENDING THREE

 _Emma reached into her pocket and pulled out the magic bean, handing it to Rumplestiltskin. "As promised. Good luck," she said, giving him a nod. With everyone distracted by the wraith, he could easily slip away and escape through the portal before anyone would notice._

 _"_ _Thank you. And I am sorry," he said as he took the bean from her and stepped back._

 _Emma looked up at the sky, as the wraith approached, its arms out and sending its magic toward the blonde, preparing to capture its prize._

 _Regina felt a movement as the wraith attacked Emma, realizing that the jerking motion she felt was Emma's hand being forced away from her own. She collapsed to the ground, screaming the blonde's name as the rest of the crowd watched in horror as the wraith's blue light connected with Emma's chest, ripping her essence from her body._

As the royal families looked on in horror as the wraith slowly drained the life from Emma, Rumple carefully turned the bean over in his hand. He tossed the magic bean off the stage, creating a portal behind them that would take him to a new realm, one where he could find his long-lost son.

It was then that he had an idea. He knew he had to travel to a land without magic to find his boy. The wraith was a magical creature, and therefore could not survive a trip to the land. He realized that if he could pull Emma into the portal, the wraith would not be able to cross into that realm and would cease to exist as they crossed through it.

With the last shred of humanity that remained in his darkened soul, fueled only by his love for his son, Rumple decided he would try to save the princess, who was rapidly losing strength as the wraith took what now belonged to it. The brunette princess was still crumpled on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably as she watched her soulmate begin to disintegrate next to her. Before anyone could stop him, Rumple grabbed Emma by the back of her gown and pulled her toward the portal, dragging along the wraith that was still magically attached to her.

Regina looked up as she saw the imp dragging the woman she loved across the stage. "What are you doing?" she shouted. He said nothing and she watched as he jumped into the portal, the blonde princess and wraith in tow. She hopped to her feet and ran after them, but the portal closed before she could make it through, leaving her to collapse on the ground below where the portal had been. "No!" she screamed, pounding the ground with her fists as she looked to where the woman she loved had just been. She heard a loud sob and looked behind to see Queen Snow cradled in King David's arms.

"Where did they go?" David demanded, still holding his wife's shaking form.

Cora smirked. "To a different realm, of course."

"Which one?" David asked.

"How should I know?" Cora shrugged, hardly fazed by the turn of events. "And more importantly, I do not care. As far as I am concerned, the Dark One is gone, and you should be thanking me."

David gently peeled himself away from his wife and stood up, marching toward Cora. "I should be thanking you? You sentence my daughter to death, she is kidnapped by the Dark One and taken to God only knows where, and you want me to _thank_ you?"

Cora stood her ground. "Yes. Who knows? Maybe your little princess managed to escape her fate and will live to annoy the world another day. But, all logic says that she never survived the trip. Just be glad you were spared from watching her take her final breath."

David moved closer as if to strike the queen, but Cora quickly disappeared in a cloud of crimson smoke. "Damn it," David sighed, his anger rising. He turned around to see Snow still sobbing on the ground.

"She is gone, David," Snow cried as her husband came over to help her stand up. "She is dead."

Regina took a deep breath. "No, she is not," she said, surprising Emma's parents and her own father with that information.

"What?" Snow looked up in surprise. "You saw that thing attack her. There is no way she was strong enough to survive a trip to another realm, especially with that thing following after her."

Regina shook her head as she looked down at her hands, feeling the familiar electricity beneath her skin. "I do not believe she is dead. I can still feel her."

"What do you mean?" Henry asked, confused by his daughter's declaration.

"Her magic. I can feel it."

"What magic? Emma does not have magic," Snow said.

Regina steadied herself as she closed her eyes, trying to tap into Emma's lightness within her. "Yes, she does. She is the product of your true love and possesses light magic. She and I are magical soulmates — magical complements, if you will. My inherent dark magic mixed with her light magic, allowing us to combine our power. Now our magic is so intimately connected that if one of us were to meet our end, the other would be completely weakened, all our magic nearly would be stripped from the survivor. I can still feel both types of magic within me, and it is stronger now than it was while she was being attacked. I could feel her magic and my own being drained by the wraith, but now I can feel my own back at full strength, and hers is there, too. The light magic is faint, likely because she is in a different realm, but it is definitely there." Regina smiled as she let the subtle warmth of the light magic spread throughout her.

Snow nearly passed out in shock at the revelation, and David tightened his grip on her arm to keep her upright as he posed a question to Regina. "How is that even possible? I have never heard of such a thing."

"Rumple said it was thought to be a myth, but apparently it is just exceedingly rare that two magical soulmates find each other and form the connection required to activate it," Regina said, blushing slightly. "But, that is not important. As long as I can feel Emma's magic, that means she is okay and out there someplace, and I am not going to rest until I find her," Regina said, turning to walk off the stage and back toward the palace.

"Where are you going?" Snow called after her, freeing herself from her husband's grasp as she followed the brunette princess.

"To find my mother. She knows more than she is letting on."

"No. Cora cannot be trusted," David said, joining the women on the path to the castle. "She is the reason this all started. She wants Emma dead, and I will not have her anywhere near Emma ever again."

"David is right, honey," Henry said, placing a hand on Regina's arm. "Your mother cannot be trusted."

"Oh, I know," Regina nodded, smirking slightly. "But she will help me, whether she wants to or not."

"What makes you think that?" Snow asked.

"I know a way to make her help us. Stay here. I will be right back," Regina said before disappearing in a cloud of lilac smoke and leaving three stunned royals in her wake.

 ***.*.***

"Hello, Mother," Regina said as she reappeared in her mother's study seconds later, finding Cora pouring a glass of gin.

"Regina, dear," Cora said, turning around and smiling coldly at her daughter. "What brings you by? Would you care for a drink to celebrate our victory?"

"You know where she is," Regina said, taking a step toward her mother.

Cora shrugged. "As I told David, I do not. Rumple probably brought her on his search for his son. The wraith probably killed Emma as soon as she landed on the other side. You need to move on with your life, Regina. Emma was nothing but an impediment to your future reign. It is time to focus on becoming the queen I have trained you to be."

Regina ignored her mother. "Where is Rumple's son?"

"Why would I know that, dear?"

"You have made many deals with him over the years, most recently promising to find him a bean so that he would tell you how to kill Emma. I am sure he mentioned where he would need to go at some point in your history."

"Well, you are incorrect, dear."

Regina stared her mother in the eye and could tell she was hiding information.

"But like I said, your blonde princess is likely dead," Cora continued.

"No, she is not. I still have my magic, and I can still feel hers. She is not dead," Regina said. She watched as her mother took in that news but did not seem surprised by it, confirming for Regina that her mother did indeed know where Emma had gone and that she had not been killed by the wraith. "We can do this the easy way, Mother, or we can do it the hard way. Your choice."

"Oh Regina, do not threaten me," Cora said, approaching Regina. "I am still your mother, and I am still more powerful than you. You may have been able to best me at the Northern Kingdom palace, but there is no squid ink here to prevent me from using magic. You are no match for me."

Before Cora could come any closer, Regina pushed her hand forward, reaching into her mother's chest and pulling out the darkened heart. She was shocked that it had worked, as she had never attempted that level of magic before, but had watched in horror as her mother had done it countless times. Regina looked up at the startled woman in front of her as she held the precious organ in her palm. "Is that so?" Regina smirked, slightly squeezing the heart in her hand until she saw her mother grimace. "Because right now, I do believe I have the upper hand. So I will ask you again, Mother, where is Emma?"

The reply was immediate. Although Cora did not want to tell her daughter the truth, she had no choice. "The Land Without Magic."

Regina was surprised, as she had never heard of such a place. "What is the 'Land Without Magic'?"

"It is another realm, but it is unlike ours in every way," Cora said automatically. "Magic does not exist there."

"Is that where Rumple was going to go look for his son?"

"Yes. Young Baelfire went there via a magic bean many years ago. Rumple was supposed to go with him, but could not bring himself to give up his magic, and they were separated."

"And what about the wraith? Why can I still feel Emma?"

Cora sighed as she confessed what she had suspected as soon as she saw the wraith fly through the portal. "The wraith would not survive the journey, since there is no magic in that realm to sustain it."

Regina released a breath as she fought back tears of relief, confirming that her soulmate was still alive. "And if Emma were to come back to a magical realm, would she be safe from the wraith?"

Cora nodded. "Yes. That wraith cannot come back if it did not survive the trip. Her mark would be meaningless now."

"You made a deal with Rumplestiltskin and promised him you would get him a bean in exchange for the information you used to summon the wraith. Where were you going to locate a bean?" Regina asked, continuing her interrogation.

"I do not know. I had not yet figured that out," Cora answered.

"Okay. Well, Rumple may be gone, but I am holding you to the deal you made with him, and I am giving you a deadline. You have fourteen days to find a magic bean and bring it to me. Actually, make that two magic beans. Otherwise, I will not hesitate to crush this," she said, squeezing the heart again in warning, enough to bring Cora to her knees. "In the meantime, I am going to hold onto this for safe keeping. I would not want you to get any crazy ideas and try to find a way out of this. You have done enough damage. This is your fate now, Mother," Regina said, glaring at her mother once more before teleporting herself out of the room.

 ***.*.***

"She is your daughter…What is she up to?" Snow asked Henry as she nervously paced outside the palace.

"I do not know, Snow. She is headstrong, and there is no stopping her when she sets a plan in motion," Henry replied.

"No wonder she and Emma got along so well," David commented.

"Get along," Snow corrected. "Present tense. We have to have hope that Regina is right and that Emma is still out there someplace."

Before they could question Regina's absence any further, the princess in question reappeared in front of them, holding a small wooden box.

"What is that?" Henry asked, his eyes glancing down to the box.

"You do not want to know the answer to that, Daddy. Trust me," she said.

"Were you able to get any information from Cora?" Snow asked, hopeful.

"Yes," she said, catching her father's eye.

"How? Cora would never agree to help you in this," Henry said. "Are you okay? Did she hurt you?"

"I am perfectly fine," she said.

"Who cares how she did it…what did you find out?" David asked, bringing the conversation back on track.

"Rumple went to the Land Without Magic, another realm where magic does not exist. His son traveled there years ago and he is hoping to find him. If he took Emma with him, the wraith could not survive in the new realm. Emma should be fine," Regina said.

"Oh, thank Heavens," Snow said, wrapping her arms around her husband.

Suddenly, Henry made a realization as he continued to study the familiar box in Regina's hands. "Regina, is that…?"

"Yes. Do not worry. Mother is alive," Regina confirmed. "This is merely a contingency plan."

"Oh, sweetie. I do not want you to stoop to her level," Henry sighed.

"It was the only way," she said, before turning to the other king and queen. "We need to get a magic bean so we can create another portal to get to Emma. And unless we want to stay in the Land Without Magic permanently, we will need a second bean to get us home."

"Where would we find a bean?" David asked.

"Snow, as part of a deal Emma made with Rumple, she had to procure a magic bean for him, which is what he used today," Regina explained. "When she made that deal, he seemed to imply that you would know where she could find one. Do you have any idea where Emma may have found it?"

Snow nodded. "I have had one locked up for years in the royal treasury. I traded a giant for it after the Ogre Wars, and Rumple was there when the exchange was made. That might be the one Emma found, unless she came across one another way. But, they are exceedingly rare, so I imagine she took mine without me knowing."

"We should check to see if yours is still there," David said. "If it is not, we have to find one some other way."

"My mother is working on it as well," Regina said, tapping the wooden box gently with her hand. "She had promised a bean to Rumple as well, so I am ensuring that she holds up her end of the bargain and gives it to me. I gave her fourteen days to find two beans. But, we should certainly look, too, in case she fails in her task."

"Do I want to ask what happens if your mother is not successful?" David asked.

"No, you do not," Regina said, briefly glancing down at the box in her hands. "Now, let us go find Emma."

* * *

 **A/N:** One more left! It's already written, but I want to proofread it a few more times before I post. It'll be up tomorrow or Thursday at the latest.


	17. Ending Option Four

**ENDING FOUR**

Happy Once day! Here's the final alternate ending (this one bares some similarity to #2 at the start, but quickly goes in a different direction...that's all I'm going to say because I hate when people spoil their own stories with author's notes lol.)

* * *

 _Emma reached into her pocket and pulled out the magic bean, handing it to Rumplestiltskin. "As promised. Good luck," she said, giving him a nod. With everyone distracted by the wraith, he could easily slip away and escape through the portal before anyone would notice._

 _"_ _Thank you. And I am sorry," he said as he took the bean from her and stepped back._

 _Emma looked up at the sky, as the wraith approached, its arms out and sending its magic toward the blonde, preparing to capture its prize._

 _Regina felt a movement as the wraith attacked Emma, realizing that the jerking motion she felt was Emma's hand being forced away from her own. She collapsed to the ground, screaming the blonde's name as the rest of the crowd watched in horror as the wraith's blue light connected with Emma's chest, ripping her essence from her body._

As the color drained from Emma's face and the blonde sat crumpled on the ground as the wraith continued to remove her soul, Cora hid her smirk, relieved that the looming threat to her kingdom and her daughter's future power was quickly vanishing before her eyes. She did not care if it initially weakened her daughter — if the magical soulmates myth was even true — because she would train Regina harder until she was ready to take the throne, and she was confident that Regina would come out stronger for it in the end. Love was weakness, and with the blonde gone, Regina's resilience would make her come out on top.

Cora was too preoccupied to notice that Rumple had opened a portal to a new realm until she saw the portal close in her periphery, noticing that the imp was gone. She filed that bit of knowledge away for future reference as she turned her attention back to the dramatic display on the stage. Her daughter was sobbing on the ground and screaming Emma's name as she watched helplessly as the wraith continued its attack on the Northern Kingdom princess.

King Henry did his best to soothe his hysterical daughter, but it was of little use. Within seconds, a wail came from Regina's throat like none he had ever heard, even in all his years of overseeing the battles of his kingdom's army. Regina clutched her chest and abdomen as she collapsed into herself, just as the wraith flew off into the darkness. Suddenly her screams stopped and her eyes lost their depth. "Regina, are you okay?" he asked as he gently squeezed her shoulders, trying to pull her out of the catatonic trance into which she had fallen.

She unconsciously shook her head. "No," she said as she looked at her hands. There was no sign of the familiar feeling of magic to which she had grown accustomed in recent months. But more importantly, although she was still alive, it felt like her soul had been ripped from her body. A single tear fell from her eye, mixing with the not yet dry tears that fell during the wraith attack. She forced herself to look at the blonde woman lying on the stage a few feet away, nothing but a shell of the beautiful person she once was. Emma's parents were crying over their daughter, desperately pleading for Emma to return to them. "It is no use," Regina said, finding her voice and oddly devoid of emotion. "She is really gone," she said with finality.

"Regina…" Henry gently cautioned. He was confused by her behavior, going from an inconsolable mess one moment to unusually stoic and unfeeling the next. Henry's heart broke for the other royal family, and he knew Regina was hurting, but it did not give her the right to speak that way to the other monarchs.

Regina ignored her father's warning and summoned the strength to crawl over to the princess' corpse. She silently prayed to feel her emotions again, concerned by her own numbness to the situation as she placed one soft kiss against her lips, whispering, "I am so sorry I could not save you, Emma. I love you." She felt a hand gently rubbing her back in a soothing pattern. She recoiled at first, but then accepted the gesture from Snow. Another tear managed to escape, and the feeling of cold lips against her own was enough to trigger a new emotion in her — anger and vengeance.

Regina was no longer sad, as she realized that when the wraith captured Emma's soul, it took part of her own humanity with it, leaving behind darkness in its place. She turned to look at her mother, who had a smug expression across her face as she witnessed the result of her handiwork. Regina forced herself to stand up, dusting off the skirt of her dress as she rose, before taking purposeful strides toward her mother. "I meant what I said before the match, Mother," she started. "You are dead to me. I will stop at nothing to destroy everything you have worked so hard to achieve. My magic may be all but gone, but from this point forward I will make it my mission to gain just enough power to kill you." She then turned to her father, her eyes still empty but softening slightly as she faced the man she knew she loved. At that moment, however, she found it hard to feel anything other than rage. "I am sorry, father, but I cannot stay here. Not as long as she still breathes," she said, gesturing toward Cora.

Henry frowned, but he understood. He had not realized the extent of Emma's effect on his daughter, but as he witnessed the sudden change in her, he knew there was a supernatural force behind their connection. He nodded once, drawing his daughter into his arms. "I love you, Regina. Never forget that."

If Regina had been capable of producing anymore tears, she would have when he hugged her. Instead she slowly blinked her eyes and nodded. "I know, Daddy. I love you, too. And I am sorry I cannot be the princess you wanted me to be."

Henry pulled back from their embrace. "You are everything I could have ever wanted in a daughter, Regina. I only ever wanted you to be true to who you are."

She bowed her head slightly in gratitude, not realizing how badly she needed to hear those words. "Thank you," she said softly, hugging him once more before she walked back toward the Northern Kingdom king and queen and the body of her soulmate. Snow extended her hand to Regina, who took it willingly, an unspoken acknowledgement that Regina would be returning with them to the Northern Kingdom.

Henry turned to face the other family. "We will arrange for a carriage and knight escort for Emma to be transported back to your kingdom, so she can have a proper burial," he said, holding back tears of his own as he looked between his heartbroken daughter and the parents who had just lost their only child due to his wife's unrelenting need for power and control.

"Thank you," King David said, extending a hand toward Henry.

Henry shook David's hand, apologizing again for his wife's actions that led to this outcome. "Please, take care of her," he said, in reference to his daughter.

David said nothing but nodded, both men knowing that despite Emma's demise at the hands of Cora, the Northern Kingdom rulers would never harm Regina.

David took a step back to join Snow and Regina, gesturing for them to exit the stage and walk down the path of the courtyard. They would send for the personal items they left behind at a later date, because they needed to leave the castle grounds before they did something foolish. David knew they were no match for Cora's magic, and they were not yet prepared to declare a war.

Regina, however, had already declared war in her mind, frantically strategizing and fantasizing about ways to defeat Cora. As she climbed into an awaiting carriage, she took one final look back at the palace she had called home for the past twenty-three years and sighed. She would miss it, but she knew this was not a permanent departure — she would return one day after killing her mother. If she never got her magic back, she would resort to physical means to carry out the task, which she had to admit thrilled her just a little bit as she envisioned just how she would do it. She bit back a smirk at the notion, briefly sharing a knowing look with Snow. As the horses trotted down the path to exit the palace grounds, Regina could have sworn that she saw a similar glint in the queen's eye just before the pixie-haired brunette queen nodded at Regina, the two making a silent pact to do whatever it would take to avenge Emma's death and make Cora pay the ultimate price.

* * *

 **A/N:** So, that's it! With four different possible endings, this fic is now complete...I think (some of the endings open themselves to a sequel or epilogue, which wasn't my intention, but I am considering it). Thank you to everyone who has followed, favorited, and reviewed. I'd love to hear which one was your favorite (especially those of you who I know were reading but may have not left any reviews. I'd love to hear your thoughts!).

I'm guessing this final option was probably not anyone's favorite, but it felt important to include it. This was actually the third ending I came up with, but I wanted to save it for last because I knew a lot of people might be angry about it. Sorry for killing Emma! But because every fanfic seems to end happily (I can't recall reading any fics where Regina or Emma die during the course of the fic), sometimes a good old-fashioned Romeo and Juliet-esque tragedy is an interesting change of pace for both readers and the writer. I did toy with the idea of Regina going true Juliet and killing herself after Emma dies, but that felt a bit forced and I like the idea of her being out for revenge and teaming up with the Charmings to take down her mother..it's a different take on how she becomes the Evil Queen. I've never killed off a character in any of my fics (or short stories I used to write), so as painful as it was, I'm glad I took on that challenge. As depressing as it is, I hope it was still a worthwhile read. And if you hated it, well, there are three other endings for you to choose from and think of as the end of the story :)

Below is a quick debrief of the first three endings, in case you were wondering what was going through my mind/why I wrote four different endings. If not, then you can completely ignore the rest of this note :)

 **One)** This is essentially the original ending I planned from the start. (Originally, Emma was going to still have the bean and she was going to create the portal and pull Regina with her, but I realized she would have no way of knowing about the LWoM, and that's the only realm she could escape to and not be killed by the wraith, so I had to play with the details a bit and have her pass it to Rumple first). But, I know a lot of fics like to end up in the LWoM when they have to face some sort of final battle, so that's why I created the alternate endings…

 **TWO)** This was the last idea I came up with, but I posted it second because options one and three were similar so I wanted to split them up, and I figured if I posted the ending with Emma's death before I was done posting endings, I might really piss you all off and you might quit haha. I thought about having Cora brand herself instead of Rumple, but I didn't want her to be a martyr. This way, she still took a selfish way out, true to Cora's character.

 **THREE)** Personally, I think this is my favorite ending…after writing all four endings, if I only was going to post one, it would be this one. This was the second ending I came up with, but I posted it third because it was close to ending one and I wanted the first two options to be drastically different from one another. After I decided ending one might be a little too cliché/predictable (even though I like it!), I decided this would be an interesting way of ending it…It's not a happy ending since it's not neatly wrapped in a bow with SQ together and happy, but it leaves it open for interpretation so it could be. Does Regina ever make it to the new world? Does she end up killing Cora if Cora doesn't find the magic beans? Does Emma find her way back to this realm to reunite with Regina before Regina, Snow, and David find her? Who knows. Maybe I'll have an AU oneshot sequel that expands on the aftermath/an epilogue of sorts (several of you have already commented to request that, and I am thinking about it, because now I'm curious what will happen, too! I would likely post it as a new fic rather than extending this document, so follow me or check my profile periodically if you want to be notified when that happens).


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